Adhesives are materials used for binding together two or more surfaces. Raw materials for adhesives are primarily polymeric materials, both naturally occurring and synthetic (such as polychloroprene, polyurethane, polyvinyl acetate, cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone). Adhesives can be either water based, solvent based, or hot-melt based, among others. Polychloroprene and polyurethanes are solvent based while polyvinyl acetate, cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl pyrrolidone are solvent-based adhesives. Hot melt adhesives are thermoplastic-based adhesives, which turn into liquid on heating. Adhesives are very critical for packaging applications. Out of the total adhesives used globally, above 70% are used in the packaging industry.

These kinds of adhesives are used in various packaging applications, such as case & carton closures, flexible packaging, folding cartons envelopes, and for corrugated converting. Furthermore, the challenges related to innovative packaging are surfacing largely due to the increasing trend to use packaging as a branding of the product and use of adhesives become observable among packers. Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc., a North American trade association dedicated towards representing the adhesive and sealant industry, has estimated the global adhesive market to expand at a moderate single digit CAGR, wherein the packaging adhesives segment is expected to account for the highest share of the market.

As a result of the rise in consumer focus on convenience and sustainability, the packaging adhesives market has been the fastest growing market in the last ten years, and it is expected to continue to grow over the forecast period as well. The packaging adhesive market is projected to grow at a parallel rate to the growth of the overall packaging industry. The packaging adhesives market in North America is rapidly entering into a maturity stage; however, the market in Asia is growing at a faster rate, which in turn is expected to drive growth of the overall packaging adhesives market in the coming years. Apart from this, population growth, increasing middle class world-wide, demand for safe food & clean water, and innovation and safety are the major growth drivers for the global packaging adhesives market. Increasing regulatory interventions from environmental bodies is a major restraint factor for the growth of the packaging adhesives market.