Dow and RKW Group join forces to develop a shrink film containing household waste recycled plastics
Published 07-26-24
Submitted by DOW
HORGEN, Switzerland, July 26, 2024 /CSRwire/ - Dow (NYSE: DOW) announces the development and launch of an expansion to its innovative family of REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins. This launch marks a milestone in Dow’s commitment to advancing circularity and Transforming the Waste.
By 2030, Dow aims to Transform the Waste and commercialize three million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions annually. To help achieve this, Dow is expanding its efforts to advance circular and sustainable packaging. Aligned with their Transform the Waste target, the launch of two new grades of REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins comes with a new opportunity to unlock even more value in plastic waste for customers and partners.
The Company is launching two new grades of REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins which are approved for non-food contact packaging applications. One contains 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics and the other is a formulated grade that contains up to 85% PCR plastics derived from household waste.
“With the launch of our new grades of REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins, we continue to expand our sustainability portfolio, working with brands, converters and recyclers to design new ways to use less plastic in packaging and to help that what is used is designed for recyclability,” said Fabrice Digonnet, Plastics Mechanical Recycling Strategy Leader EMEA, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “The launch of these two new grades is an exciting evolution in our recycling story and enables us to further support circularity and low-emissions solutions.”
Addressing challenges by maximizing resources
Until now, the plastics industry has struggled to maximize recycled plastics household waste to reach demanding applications such as collation shrink films, as it is more prone to contamination than waste from commercial or industrial sources. These new grades of REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins address these challenges, marking an exciting evolution in the recycling narrative.
Through collaboration, Dow and the RKW Group, one of Europe´s leading manufacturer of shrink films, are achieving new circularity and low-emissions milestones with the use of REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins. By combining Dow’s material science expertise with RKW’s extrusion and printing expertise, they are maximizing the value of recycled plastics household waste streams to achieve historically demanding applications.
“This collaboration brings a brand-new collation shrink film to the market,” said Konrad Noniewicz, Director R&D & Application Engineering at RKW Group. “By integrating REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins, we create a flexible packaging solution that meets the requirements for mechanical recyclability, ensuring compatibility with existing recycling processes and contributing to the transition towards a circular economy.”
The final product is a collation shrink film containing PCR plastics, partially derived from recycled plastics household waste, which meets the high requirements of well-known brand owners around the world.
This collaboration between Dow and RKW is a testament for a strong and effective relationship across the value chain, pushing the limits of mechanical recycling and accelerating the circular economy.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.
About RKW
RKW Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of polyolefin-based film solutions. Our innovative and sustainable films enable customers to improve the daily life of consumers all over the world. We are a market leader in the areas of hygiene and agricultural films as well as films for the food and beverage industries and powdery goods. Moreover, we supply films and nonwovens for the chemical and processing industries as well as the medical, automotive and construction sectors. Our independent family-owned company is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany and employs approximately 2,800 people across 17 locations worldwide.
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For further information, please contact:
Heather Wilson
hwilson2@dow.com
Mareike Frech
mareike.frech@rkw-group.com
Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.
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