Henkel’s Loctite brand is turning ESG principles into real progress through responsible chemistry and circular design.
For Henkel, sustainability is not a marketing trend, but a strategic pillar embedded in all aspects of its operations. Guided by its purpose, the company is reshaping the way industrial adhesives are formulated, manufactured, and delivered. Under its Loctite brand, recent upgrade to its Threadlocker range marks a clear step in advancing environmental safety and regulatory readiness without compromising performance.
Henkel’s “Responsible Chemistry” approach reflects its belief that innovation and sustainability are inseparable. The removal of chemical substances such as cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and acetophenone (APH) from Loctite’s reformulated Threadlockers is not only a step toward easier handling but also a proactive response to the evolving global landscape of chemical regulation.
“Our sustainability journey is about innovating toward a lower-hazard, more sustainable chemical portfolio,” said Seza Eraydin, sustainability manager for general manufacturing and maintenance at Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. “Through our responsible chemistry approach, we’re reducing hazards where possible while ensuring our products continue to deliver the reliability our customers trust.”
Advancing circularity and ensuring regulatory adherence
Circularity sits at the heart of Henkel’s sustainability roadmap. In line with its global targets, the company has made progress towards using recycled materials in its packaging. Today, the proportion of recycled plastic in its consumer goods packaging is 25 percent globally, and the company aims for 100 per cent of packaging to be designed for recycling or reusability in the future.
The new Loctite Threadlocker bottles, for example, are made from 50 per cent post-consumer resin – a move that reduces reliance on virgin plastics and supports Henkel’s broader circular economy ambitions. Beyond packaging, the company is working to achieve circular water use and minimise production waste, moving away from incineration and landfill in favour of recycling and resource recovery.
“Circularity is one of our key focus areas,” Eraydin said. “We’re working towards keeping valuable materials in the loop – not just in packaging but across all our operations.”
In the complex world of chemical manufacturing, regulation is moving fast. Henkel recognises that staying compliant today does not guarantee compliance tomorrow. Through its Responsible Chemistry agenda, the company is adopting a proactive approach – anticipating rather than reacting to new requirements and helping customers do the same.
Eraydin said the reformulation of Loctite’s Threadlockers aligns with this philosophy. By removing high-hazard substances and refining formulations, Henkel is positioning its products to meet future regulatory demands before they come into force. This forward-thinking mindset gives customers confidence that their manufacturing processes remain safe, compliant, and sustainable well into the future.
Additionally, Henkel recognises that addressing sustainability challenges requires collaboration across the value chain. The company participates in international industry forums such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy and the European Adhesives Industry Association (FEICA). Through these partnerships, Henkel contributes to shaping global standards, sharing expertise, and fostering innovation that benefits the sector.
This spirit of collaboration extends to Henkel’s customers, suppliers, and partners. By exchanging knowledge and jointly developing solutions, the company helps accelerate sustainable progress across industries. Eraydin said that these efforts are central to Henkel’s ESG strategy and reflect its commitment to meaningful, long-term impact rather than isolated improvements.
Digitalising sustainability in every market
Looking to the future, Henkel is leveraging digital tools and data-driven insights to further its ESG goals. Within Henkel Adhesive Technologies, the company is developing a comprehensive sustainability intelligence framework designed to provide end-to-end transparency across product lifecycles. This includes detailed product carbon footprint data, traceability of raw materials, and integration of external certifications.
By quantifying and certifying sustainability performance, Henkel aims to make responsible manufacturing measurable and actionable. These digital systems will allow customers to make informed decisions and adopt sustainable solutions with confidence, supporting the shift toward transparent, data-led ESG reporting across the industry.
“Sustainability intelligence is key to achieving reliable data and consistent measurement,” Eraydin said. “We want to provide customers with full visibility and empower them to make sustainable choices backed by clear evidence.”
While Henkel’s sustainability ambitions are global, its implementation is always tailored to local needs. The rollout of the new Loctite Threadlocker formulations in Australia and New Zealand reflects the company’s commitment to maintaining the same high standards worldwide while responding to regional market expectations.
Henkel’s teams continually review product portfolios across regions to ensure compliance with responsible chemistry principles and to reduce hazards wherever possible. This consistent global approach allows the company to maintain both performance and sustainability across its product range.
Balancing sustainability with performance
While the environmental gains of the new formulations are important, maintaining Loctite’s hallmark performance was non-negotiable. Henkel’s research and development teams balanced sustainability with engineering reliability, ensuring that the new Threadlockers perform identically to their predecessors in terms of strength, viscosity, and thermal stability.
The Responsible Chemistry program guides this process, combining internal expertise with collaborative R&D to deliver safer, lower-impact solutions that still meet the rigorous performance needs of industrial users. The company’s long-standing relationships with customers across manufacturing sectors provide real-world insight that drives this balance between safety and reliability.
“We’re minimising health, safety and environmental risks while maintaining the performance our customers expect,” Eraydin said. “That’s how sustainability becomes a practical reality rather than a compromise.”
Embedding social responsibility
Environmental progress is one part of Henkel’s ESG agenda. The company places equal emphasis on the social dimension of sustainability – promoting inclusion, equity, and wellbeing within its workforce and the communities it serves. Under its Thriving Communities pillar, Henkel prioritises education, diversity and inclusion, and employee health and safety.
Eraydin said Henkel’s commitment to its people is integral to its success. The company invests in lifelong learning opportunities, promotes a healthy and flexible working environment, and maintains a strong focus on occupational safety.
“We continuously improve our safety practices with a long-term goal of zero accidents,” she said. “Creating an agile, high-performance organisation starts with looking after our people.”
Building the future of responsible manufacturing
Henkel’s long-term vision extends beyond reformulated Threadlockers. The company’s ESG-aligned product development roadmap focuses on three core areas where it can deliver the most impact: climate, circularity, and safety. These priorities guide innovation in bonding, sealing and coating technologies that enable sustainability across the manufacturing ecosystem.
Through its materials science expertise, Henkel aims to help customers reduce emissions, conserve resources, and improve product safety throughout the value chain.
“Our vision is to contribute to solving global challenges by enabling sustainability through material science and responsible innovation. We make it happen,” said Eraydin.
