Adhesives and sealants: Emissions
Why nearly all of glue's carbon is in the monomers
Why nearly all of glue's carbon is in the monomers What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 2.00 t CO2e per t range about 1-6 · PVAc dispersion about 1.0 t and styrene-acrylic dispersion about 1.5 t CO2e per t (Omya); hot melts, PU and epoxy systems higher (indicative) Global emissions per year 40.0 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 2.0 t x about 20 Mt (indicative)Per t of adhesive, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Omya sustainability toolkit; weighting indicative. Global total: derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 90% Production / process 5% Movement 5%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.8 t CO2e per t | 90% | monomers and polymers (VAM, acrylates, isocyanates, epoxy, silicones), tackifiers and solvents | fossil carbon embedded in the product | indicative (basis: Omya dispersion footprints) |
| Production / process | about 0.1 t CO2e per t | 5% | emulsion polymerisation heat, mixing, melting | indicative | |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e per t | 5% | road and sea distribution | indicative | |
| Use | VOC release from solvent-borne products; enables lighter vehicles and packaging | – | solvent evaporation | solvent-borne adhesives release most of their 60-80% solvent content as VOCs (indicative) | indicative |
| End of life | small per t; stays with the bonded product | – | incineration or landfill with packaging, furniture and vehicles | adhesives in laminates and multi-layer packs block mechanical recycling; debond-on-demand adhesives are an answer | indicative |
Other environmental impacts
VOCs, worker exposure to solvents and isocyanates; formaldehyde emissions from wood panel resins; adhesives as contaminants in paper and plastic recycling.
Levers to cut emissions
- Switch solvent-borne to water-borne and hot-melt systems
- Bio-based monomers and polymers (bio-attributed VAM and acrylates, starch, lignin, soy)
- Recyclable and debondable adhesives for mono-material packaging
- Formaldehyde-free panel binders
- Lower-carbon VAM from bio-ethylene or green hydrogen-based acetic acid
India
No adhesive footprint is published for India; domestic VAM production from August 2026 will add Scope 1 and 2 emissions onshore while cutting import logistics.
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.Low-carbon routes
| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bio-attributed VAM and acrylate dispersions (mass balance) | not published | not published | offered by major European monomer makers (indicative) | indicative |
| Starch- and lignin-based adhesives for board and panels | not published | not published | commercial in corrugating; emerging in wood panels (indicative) | indicative |