Sticking to quality, without sticking to solvents.

As a company, 3M has a long-standing tradition of being a good product steward.

Part of that tradition is reinforced in a corporate Sustainability strategy dedicated to improving air quality globally. This isn’t always an easy path to take. As a company that uses solvent-based materials, 3M manages volatile organic compounds (VOCs) coming from some manufacturing processes.

But we are committed to improving air quality everywhere—so we’ve been applying green chemistry principles to make the adhesives on many of our products, including Consumer Medical Tapes, solvent-free. This is a practice that started well before Sustainability became top of mind for consumers. In the late 1960s, our 3M™ Micropore™ Surgical Tape moved to a water-based adhesive. In the early 1980s, 3M™ Transpore™ Surgical Tape did the same. In 2013, Nexcare™ Sensitive Skin Tape launched as a solvent-free adhesive. And in 2015 Nexcare™ Durable Cloth Tape began incorporating a solvent-free adhesive.

These innovations are a part of what has enabled 3M to reduce our absolute VOC emissions by 17.1 percent between 2013 and 2017, and by 99 percent since 1990.

Today, our consumer tapes have been united under the Nexcare™ First Aid Tapes Brand. Packaging has also been revamped, to make it easier for customers to find the right product for their needs. This product line includes:
 

• Nexcare™ Sensitive Skin Tape, for pain free removal, people with sensitive skin, infants, and the elderly.
• Nexcare™ Gentle Paper Tape, for frequent gauze changes, easy removal, and post-surgery applications.
• Nexcare™ Flexible Clear Tape, for discreet hold and taping dressings or medical devices in hard to tape areas.
• Nexcare™ Durable Cloth Tape, for securing splints and gauze, supporting wrists and fingers, and general applications requiring strong holding power.