Leading with Purpose: How Henkel is Shaping the Future of the Tissue and Towel Industry

In today’s market, manufacturers in the tissue and towel industry face ongoing pressure: they must improve efficiency, reduce costs, and meet higher consumer expectations while also making meaningful progress toward environmental goals. At Henkel Adhesive Technologies, the team understands these demands and works closely with producers to deliver more than just adhesive solutions. Henkel helps its partners meet today’s challenges and prepare for future opportunities. 

Henkel is a global leader in adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings. With over 150 years of technical experience, the company is deeply committed to innovation, reliability, and partnership. Its role in the tissue and towel industry is built around enabling measurable value and supporting long-term success. 

Creating Real Value Through Performance and Support

Henkel’s high-performance adhesives are designed to drive production efficiency and reduce total cost-in-use. These solutions help customers maintain line speed and consistency while ensuring high-quality output. Whether applied in core winding or hygiene product assembly, Henkel’s adhesives are engineered to minimize disruptions and maximize operational reliability. 

Yet the value Henkel delivers extends well beyond the product: a significant part of its strength lies in its people. Henkel’s global network of application engineers, technical experts, and sales professionals work directly with customers on site. They solve complex production issues, optimize performance, and offer targeted improvements. This collaborative approach builds trust and provides long-term value that product features alone cannot achieve. 

Driving Innovation for Competitive Advantage

Innovation is central to how Henkel creates impact in the tissue and towel industry. Through dedicated research and development hubs, like the company’s 70,000-square-foot Technology Center in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Henkel offers pilot-scale testing, advanced formulation tools, and product development that is tailored to the needs of tissue converters. 

Over the last few years, Henkel introduced several technologies designed to address pressing industry challenges. These include: 

• Aquence® LAM N1100, a highly optimized adhesive with Henkel’s highest dilutability, ideal for high-speed converting lines. The extremely high dilution ratios provide excellent cost in use. 

• Aquence® XTRA Softeners, available in Soft, Silk, and Pro variations. These formulas help tissue producers tailor softness, fluffiness, and tactile quality for end users seeking elevated comfort and product differentiation. 

• Technomelt® Supra LE flagship packaging grades, reformulated to deliver at least 25% lower carbon emissions. 

Henkel’s innovation pipeline focuses on helping customers stay agile while responding to market trends and consumer preferences. 

Making Sustainability a Business Standard

Henkel integrates sustainability into every decision it makes, from product innovation to the way it operates around the world. The company provides transparent product carbon footprints, uses renewable raw materials, and supports circular systems through recyclable packaging and low-emission formulations. 

Henkel has made clear climate commitments, including: 

• Reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42 percent and Scope 3 emissions by 30 percent by 2030, using 2021 as a baseline. 

• Achieving a 90 percent absolute emissions reduction by 2045 to meet validated net-zero targets, as defined by the Science Based Targets initiative. 

Outside of the tissue and towel market, Henkel is driving improvements in packaging through post-consumer recycled plastics and adhesive technologies that are compatible with closed-loop recycling systems. 

Supporting Every Stage of the Operation

Henkel offers more than adhesives alone. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio that includes maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products, as well as softeners that enhance product feel and performance. This broad support helps tissue and nonwoven producers improve both their production process and consumer outcomes. 

Henkel’s goal is to deliver practical value at every stage of the supply chain. The company helps customers optimize production, improve product quality, and move confidently toward their sustainability targets. 

Henkel is proud to be a business partner focused on enabling long-term customer success. Its combination of reliable chemistry, deep technical expertise, and responsible innovation positions the company as a leader in the tissue and towel industry. 

Henkel believes value is measured not only by product performance, but by what its customers can achieve with it. For producers looking to improve current performance, meet evolving market expectations, and prepare for a more sustainable future, Henkel is ready to embark on the journey with them.