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Low-Temperature Hot Melt Adhesives: A Practical Sustainability Win
AJ Adhesives: Sustainability & Environmental Impact – Low Temperature Hot Melt Adhesives
February 4, 2026
Sustainability only matters when it connects to measurable outcomes—energy use, emissions, waste, rework, and operational efficiency. Low-temperature hot melt adhesives (often referred to as “low-temp hot melts”) stand out as one of the few changes in industrial bonding where sustainability improvements can be tied directly to the production floor. This blog post explains how low-temperature hot melts reduce environmental impact, what changes typically drive those improvements, and how manufacturers can transition without compromising bond performance or uptime.
What “Low-Temperature Adhesives” Really Means in Production
Hot melt adhesives are applied by melting the adhesive in a tank or melter and pumping it through heated hoses and guns to the point of application. Low-temperature hot melts are formulated to perform effectively at reduced temperatures while maintaining proper flow, open time, and set speed.
In practice, “low temperature” does not refer to a single standardized temperature. Instead, it typically involves:
- Lower setpoint temperatures on the melter, hoses, and guns
- Lower adhesive temperature at the nozzle
- Stable adhesion and processing performance at those reduced temperatures
Some packaging-focused low-temperature platforms report application temperature reductions of up to approximately 104°F compared to conventional hot melts.
How Lower Operating Temperatures Improve Sustainability in Packaging Operations
1) Reduced Energy Consumption from Low-Temperature Hot Melt Adhesives
Hot melt systems consume electricity continuously to melt adhesive and maintain temperature across tanks, hoses, and guns. Lower operating temperatures reduce the amount of energy required to both heat and hold the adhesive at application-ready conditions.
- In an e-commerce packaging application, one documented transition from a conventional EVA adhesive running at 356°F to a low-temperature polyolefin running at 266°F resulted in a 42% reduction in energy consumption per tank, decreasing from 1.2 kW/h to 0.7 kW/h.
- Manufacturer guidance from H.B. Fuller similarly positions low-temperature hot melt technology as a practical way to reduce energy demand and operational carbon footprint in packaging environments.
Actual energy savings depend on equipment insulation, runtime, startup frequency, and line scheduling, but lower setpoints consistently reduce the baseline energy required to operate hot melt systems.
2) Cleaner Running Systems and Reduced Adhesive Waste
As operating temperatures rise or as adhesives remain molten for extended periods, many conventional hot melts are prone to degradation, which can lead to char formation, gel buildup, filter loading, nozzle plugging, and stringing.
These issues directly contribute to waste and inefficiency, including:
- Increased adhesive waste
- Start-up waste and rework after cleanouts/maintenance
- More frequent parts replacements (filers/nozzles)
- Unplanned downtime that produces waste
In the same low-temperature packaging case study, the switch to a reduced-temperature adhesive eliminated char formation and significantly reduced downtime and spare-part-related costs.
Operational guidance from Astro Packaging also notes that lower-temperature hot melts reduce char generation by limiting thermal degradation, supporting cleaner running systems and improved line efficiency.
Cleaner operation means less wasted adhesive, fewer discarded components, and fewer waste-producing events.
3) Improved Safety Conditions at Lower Adhesive Temperatures
Lower application temperatures also affect environmental, health, and safety conditions on the production floor. Reduced surface temperatures lower burn risk for operators during startup, maintenance, and troubleshooting. In addition, some facilities report reduced irritating fumes or odors when running at lower temperatures, depending on adhesive chemistry and ventilation.
- Improved worker safety and comfort were reported alongside energy and efficiency gains in the documented low-temperature packaging application, including reduced exposure risk and a more comfortable operating environment.
While results vary by site, reduced temperature setpoints generally lower surface temperature exposure and improve overall handling conditions. Facilities should always validate changes with safety teams and confirm ventilation requirements in accordance with SDS guidance and site-specific conditions.
4) Lower Adhesive Consumption in Select Packaging Applications
Some low-temperature platforms also demonstrate improved stability, allowing manufacturers to reduce adhesive usage without sacrificing bond performance.
In the same documented packaging application, adhesive consumption decreased by 52%, dropping from 120 kg per week to 62.5 kg per week after transitioning to a low-temperature solution. This reduction was application-specific and should not be treated as a universal expectation, but it highlights how improved flow and consistency at lower temperatures can contribute to material efficiency.
When consumption is reduced, it directly lowers material use, packaging waste, and the environmental footprint associated with adhesive production and disposal.
What to Measure When Evaluating Low-Temperature Hot Melt Adhesives
To understand the true sustainability impact of a low-temperature hot melt adhesives, manufacturers should track changes using production metrics they already monitor. Here are metrics that most plants can capture:
- Energy
- kWh per shift or per tank
- Warm-up energy versus steady-state running energy
- Adhesive Usage
- Kilograms per 1,000 cases or per run-time hour
- Weight of wasted adhesive
- Scrap and Rework
- Start-up waste following adhesive-related maintenance
- Rework tied to bond failures, stringing, or contamination
- Maintenance
- Filter change frequency
- Nozzle/gun service intervals
- Char cleanout time and waste
- Downtime
- Adhesive-system-related downtime per month
- Micro-stops caused by plugging or stringing
Tip: Running a baseline for several weeks and then trialing a low-temperature hot melt adhesives under the same product mix and line conditions provides a clear comparison. Your AJ Adhesives representative can assist you with sampling a new product.
Low-Temperature Hot Melt Adhesives Available from AJ Adhesives
AJ 4020 – premium low-temperature hot-melt adhesive used for high-speed packaging lines. Boasts a fast set, and bonds most substrates associated with case and carton sealing applications. Advantages include reduced maintenance costs and parts replacement, low odor, increased safety, reduced consumption, and savings on energy costs. Applies at 225-275°F.
AJ 1910 – premium light-colored hot melt packaging adhesive used for tray forming, case, and carton sealing. It is a very heat-stable product with excellent clean machining properties. This product also has good high and low temperature bond performance, along with excellent mileage. Applies at 340-360°F, but can be utilized at lower temperatures when consulting with an AJ Adhesives representative.
TM 450 – excellent low-temperature hot melt adhesive for food or beverage case, carton, and tray forming. Boasts superior heat stability, low odor, light color, fast set speed, and long open time. Applies at 250-300°F, recommended at 275°F.
AJ 2024 – formulated low temperature applied hot melt primarily used in packaging applications. Boasts aggressive hot tack, excellent adhesion, and excellent machining properties with fast set speeds and improved heat resistance. Applies at 275-300°F.
Final Thoughts: Sustainability Tied to Production Reality
Low-temperature hot melt adhesives offer a practical path to sustainability because they address measurable production variables—energy consumption, adhesive waste, downtime-driven waste, and worker safety conditions. When evaluated through controlled trials and real production data, these improvements move sustainability beyond marketing language and into operational results.
AJ Adhesives supports manufacturers through adhesive selection, application evaluation, and trial implementation to help ensure low-temperature solutions improve efficiency without sacrificing performance or uptime.
Ready to find the solution for your line? Contact your AJ Adhesives representative today!
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Sources:
Henkel – “Bio just got cooler: Bio-based hot melt adhesive… helps save energy in the packaging process”
Henkel Adhesives – “Advanced packaging adhesives / TECHNOMELT SUPRA COOL”
Henkel (PDF Case Study) – “TECHNOMELT E-COM in Action”
H.B. Fuller – “Low Temperature Adhesives”
Astro Packaging – “Benefits of Using Low Temperature Hot Melt Case and Carton”
ASI (Adhesive & Sealant Council) – “Interlock Adhesives and Henkel’s New Bio-based Low Temp Hotmelt…”
Ciobanu et al., 2024 (peer-reviewed) – “Thermoplastic Composite Hot-Melt Adhesives…”