Henkel Continues to Drive Sustainable Innovations


Innovative products and solutions are essential if society wants to decouple economic growth from resource consumption. Thanks to systematic tools and processes, Henkel is consistently developing innovative products and solutions that offer customers and consumers more value and better performance with a smaller environmental footprint. Henkel does not focus on developing a few "sustainable products" with environmental benefits. The company's aim is to continuously improve all products across the entire Laundry Home Care, Beauty Care and Adhesive Technologies portfolios, taking every aspect and the entire value chain into account.



"Sustainability is an important, competitive factor," said Chief Executive Officer Kasper Rorsted. "Our intense focus on sustainability during the innovation process enables us to develop high-performing, efficient products for our customers and consumers."



Tools that integrate sustainability systematically



In 2008, Henkel systematically anchored the focal areas of its sustainability strategy into the innovation process. Researchers must demonstrate the specific advantages of products and processes they are developing with regard to performance, social progress, health and safety, energy and climate, water and wastewater, as well as materials and waste.



Henkel has developed an evaluation system – the Henkel Sustainability#Master® – to demonstrate specific hotspots along the value chain and across these strategic focal areas, where innovations can have the greatest impact. Henkel ensures that innovations will improve the overall sustainability profile of its products and processes by considering the entire life cycle. Henkel experts use the Henkel Sustainability#Master® not only to evaluate potential innovations but also in dialog with retail partners, NGOs, and other stakeholders.



New products and process examples



Green chemistry for Dial and Purex: Natural resource depletion is one of the major sustainability challenges facing our society. Most of the chemicals in our products today are derived or extracted from petroleum and plants. Henkel understands the environmental impacts from the chemicals sourced from natural resources and has been exploring novel approaches with industrial and academic partners to deliver superior product performance with reduced footprint. For example, at the Bio-design Institute of Arizona State University, Henkel has provided the know-how and laboratory testing capabilities to support a research of converting cyanobacteria to fatty acids through photosynthesis. Fatty acids and their derivatives are widely used as the ingredients for Dial soap and Purex laundry detergents



Solutions for lightweight vehicles: The automotive industry is seeking solutions to cut down on vehicle weight, reduce fuel consumption, and comply with strict CO2 emissions standards. Through a unique portfolio of Loctite adhesives, Teroson sealants and Bonderite functional coatings, Henkel creates opportunities to design and build advanced-material, lightweight automotive components. These enable quieter, lighter and more durable vehicles, while providing comfort, strength and safety. Henkel's Teroson acoustic solutions enable manufacturers to reduce weight by 25 percent in comparison to traditional bitumen pads.



Name Delker Vardilos

Corporate Communications Henkel Corporation

Phone 860-571-5344


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