Henkel has opened a new route to certified packaging recyclability testing in Asia-Pacific, with its Packaging Recyclab Shanghai facility passing the official audit of the cyclos-HTP Institute (CHI).

 

The accreditation authorizes the Shanghai site to conduct EU paper packaging recyclability testing and issue EU-recognized external test assessment reports, giving customers across the region local access to testing that previously often required sending samples to Europe.

 

The move comes as packaging manufacturers, converters and brand owners face mounting pressure to meet the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and increasingly complex recyclability requirements.

 

Henkel said the accreditation strengthens its local support for companies preparing for European market requirements while reinforcing Packaging Recyclab Shanghai’s role in its global Packaging Recyclab network, which also includes a facility in Düsseldorf, Germany.

 

Integrated into Henkel’s global Inspiration Center experience, the laboratories allow customers to explore, test and optimize packaging solutions from concept development through recyclability assessment.

 

Packaging Recyclab Shanghai now applies two recognized European paper packaging recyclability test protocols: CEPI/4evergreen and CHI.

 

For Asia-Pacific exporters, the capability means paper packaging can be tested and assessed against EU standards closer to home. Henkel said this can reduce development time and give companies earlier clarity when planning European market access.

 

The timing is significant. The PPWR introduces requirements covering packaging design, recyclability performance, recycled content, hazardous substance limits and reuse criteria, alongside strengthened Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations for companies placing packaging on the EU market.

 

For exporters, packaging compliance is increasingly becoming a market-entry requirement rather than a final-stage check.

 

Asia-Pacific is a major manufacturing and packaging hub serving electronics, consumer goods, food, light industry and other global markets. Henkel said many companies in the region have historically relied on European laboratories for recognized paper packaging recyclability testing.

 

The Shanghai facility is designed to close that gap by bringing internationally aligned testing and technical expertise closer to regional customers.

 

“PPWR will reshape the competitive landscape of the packaging industry,” said Alejandro Schoenhoff, Vice President, Packaging Adhesives, Henkel Asia Pacific. 

 

“CHI’s accreditation of the Packaging Recyclab in Shanghai marks an important milestone in bringing Europe’s authoritative recyclability assessment and testing capabilities closer to customers in Asia-Pacific. It underscores Henkel’s long-term commitment to China and the wider region, and it represents another significant step in helping local businesses meet stringent global market entry requirements.”

 

Henkel is also positioning the facility as more than a testing laboratory, arguing that recyclability needs to be addressed at the design stage rather than after packaging has already been produced.

 

Design for recyclability requires companies to look beyond whether a material is theoretically recyclable. Packaging must be evaluated as a system, taking into account material selection, coatings, adhesives and structural design, as well as how the finished package performs in real recycling processes.

 

Packaging Recyclab Shanghai supports this approach through an integrated workflow covering design, testing, assessment and optimization.

 

By engaging Henkel experts earlier in development, customers can identify potential improvements, generate technical data and build documentation to support recyclability assessments before production is finalized.

 

“Given the enormous export volume of China and Asia-Pacific, addressing these challenges is not optional; it is imperative,” said Yanjie Zheng, Sustainability Manager, Packaging Adhesives, Henkel Asia Pacific. 

 

“Henkel has built an integrated, end-to-end solution covering the packaging lifecycle, from design and manufacturing applications to end-of-life recycling and regulatory compliance. Henkel Packaging Recyclab Shanghai gives packaging exporters an efficient and reliable path to international compliance.”