MICHAEL HOFFMANN
Head of Business Unit Technicals, Poly-Clip System GmbH & Co. KG
Michael is an executive leader with 20+ years in Automotive, Mobility and Industrial Technology, focused on turning complex portfolios into profitable growth—from strategy to execution. Today he leads a Business Unit in special machinery for sustainable packaging solutions at Poly-clip, driving business development, portfolio expansion and organizational performance. Previously, Michael helped shape the future of mobility at ZF—building and scaling autonomous transport systems as Managing Director, and leading commercial and portfolio responsibility across global OEM relationships.
Rethinking Adhesive Packaging: How Clip-Based Flexible Packs Cut Waste by Design
Rigid plastic cartridges still dominate adhesive and sealant packaging, despite their structural inefficiency: high material consumption, bulky waste after use, incomplete product evacuation, and limited recyclability due to contamination. Under increasing regulatory pressure for packaging minimization and rising sustainability targets across construction and industrial markets, this legacy format is reaching its limits. This presentation examines flexible tubular packaging sealed with clip closures as a technically robust alternative for adhesives and sealants. From an engineering perspective, it explains how flexible films combined with clip closure systems enable a step change in packaging performance: drastically reduced packaging material, over 90% lower waste volume after use, air-free filling for improved shelf life, and near-complete product utilization. Using industrial use cases from construction and chemical sealants, cartridge-based and clip-based packaging are compared in terms of material efficiency, logistics, on-site handling, and compatibility with existing filling and dispensing processes. Quantitative indicators on waste reduction, transport efficiency and operational impact are discussed, with assumptions clearly indicated where applicable. The presentation concludes by linking clip-based flexible packaging to the WAC2026 theme “Reinventing the Future”, demonstrating how re-engineering packaging design can become a powerful lever for sustainability, cost efficiency and regulatory readiness in the adhesives and sealants industry.
Co-author(s):
Simon Hutzfeld
Breakout Session IX – Performance & Compliance in Packaging Systems – 17 September 2026 – 17:00 – 17:30 – Room Fleming – F3