Since its release in 1982, Elmer’s Glue has become a household name.
Its strong bonds and ability to withstand repeated use make it suitable for countless projects. It is a good product that dries quickly and keeps cosmetics from getting cracks and wrinkles.
So, is Elmer’s glue eco-friendly? Elmer’s glue is a great product because it’s versatile and easy to use.
However, the glue is not so good for the environment. The glue is made of plastic, which is bad for the planet.
The glue sticks well to most surfaces, but it’s difficult and time-consuming to remove. On the other hand, many natural glues are easy to use but stick poorly to surfaces.
Fortunately, there’s a solution. Elmer’s has made an eco-friendly glue that is made from natural ingredients and is 100% biodegradable.
While Elmer’s glue is still great, it’s much better for the environment.
Is Elmer’s Glue Eco-Friendly?
Contents
Earth Friendly School Glue is completely non-toxic and safe for children to use at home for arts and crafts projects or at school for class projects.
The container is made of 25% recycled plastic; the caps are both reusable and recyclable; and the adhesive itself is made from natural plant-based materials, including wheat starch and corn starch, instead of petroleum-based products.
Regular Elmer’s Glue recipes use polyvinyl acetate, which is a synthetic polymer made from polyvinyl alcohol and acetic anhydride.
When glues like these are not disposed of properly, they can release harmful chemicals into the groundwater system as well as accumulate in the environment as pollution over time.
While glue is okay to put away after you’ve finished using it, most adhesives aren’t biodegradable and therefore can build up in the environment over time.
Are All Adhesives Harmful to the Environment?
People often think that all adhesives are bad for the environment and need to be thrown away carefully to prevent damage.
Only a few adhesive formulae have special disposal requirements because they contain dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde or xylene.
Some glues, such as hot melt glue sticks, may be harmful if they are accidentally ingested by children.
Rather, the way a formula is made and thrown away is more important when it comes to figuring out if it is safe or not.
Is Hot Glue Eco-Friendly?
Another frequent adhesive used is hot glue sticks, which are often made of PVC or polystyrene plastic.
Almost all hot glue sticks can be recycled, and they often already contain recycled materials.
This is still plastic, but it can be recycled many times without becoming hazardous to the environment as regular plastic can.
Hot glue sticks usually don’t break down when thrown away, so it’s important to throw them away in the right way to keep the environment from getting hurt.
Hot glue sticks are not environmentally friendly, in large part due to the fact that they are composed of many different types of plastic compounds that are melted together to form the stick itself.
Is Super Glue Eco-Friendly?
Because of the gases generated while mixing it, superglue isn’t very eco-friendly either.
To create glue, factories consume petroleum-based fuel, which creates large amounts of greenhouse gases during production.
Aside from that, there has been very little or no research into the effects of exposure to these gases on humans and the environment.
Also Read: What Does Elmer’s Glue Work On?
Final Words
Elmer’s Glue, like most other adhesives sold in the U.S. today, is not inherently bad for the environment as long as it is thrown away in the right way.
The Earth-Friendly recipe, on the other hand, is non-toxic and environmentally-friendly because it is free of toxic petrochemicals.
Other plant-based glue alternatives include wheat paste and beeswax paste.
It’s not clear if this will be enough to get people to stop using toxic glues for everyday tasks, but it’s still a step in the right direction.
