The European Union has committed to an ambitious sustainability agenda that foresees substantial steps towards a circular economy by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. Achieving these goals will not only mean continuous improvements, but it will also fundamentally change manufacturing practices, product requirements and even certain assumptions that have been in place for decades.
This presentation will attempt to provide a picture, from a European perspective, of what a circular world may look like and what this implies for adhesives, sealants, and coatings. The presentation will elaborate, with examples from different industries, the key properties and functionalities that will be expected of adhesives, sealants, and coatings, and in which applications the often-mentioned but sometimes elusive feature of debonding really comes into play. A key motif will be developed in which ‘circular’ acquires a specific meaning for adhesives, sealants, and coatings, which always are a minority component in products. The presentation will posit that successful and workable guidance and regulation of these products must acknowledge a fundamental difference to substrate materials such as plastics, metals, wood, and paper. The presentation will further explore how product stewardship gains an extra dimension in a circular world and how industry can prepare.