Dow, one of the world’s leading materials science companies, and FMCG major Procter & Gamble have announced a joint development agreement (JDA) to create a new recycling technology.
The vision is to enable efficient conversion of hard-to-recycle plastic packaging into recycled polyethylene with near-virgin quality and a low greenhouse gas emissions footprint, Dow said in a release posted in its website.
To create the new technology, the companies will combine their patented technologies and know-how in the dissolution process. The development program will focus on using dissolution technology to recycle a broad range of plastic materials with a focus on polyethylene and targeting post-household plastic waste (especially rigids, flexible and multi-layer packaging, which are harder to recycle).
The technology aims to deliver high-quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymer with a lower greenhouse gas emissions footprint than fossil-based polyethylene. P&G anticipates using this PCR polymer in their packaging, thereby enabling a path to circularity which helps maximize resource utility and reduces materials treated as waste.
The global partnership between Dow and P&G begins immediately and is expected to run until commercialization.
In addition to the patented technologies, both Dow and P&G bring decades of expertise in materials science, manufacturing capabilities and large-scale supply chain management. These areas of expertise will be important in the development of this new recycling technology that can be deployed at a commercial manufacturing scale.
“Dow is committed to transforming plastic waste into circular solutions that can be made into high-quality resins demanded by our customers while helping to accelerate a circular economy. We are excited to work with P&G which has similar sustainability goals and commitment to innovation,” said Dave Parrillo, vice president for Research & Development, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics and Hydrocarbons.
“Our partnership with Dow helps P&G advance our objective to scale industry solutions as we help create a circular future where materials are recycled and remade instead of becoming waste,” added Lee Ellen Drechsler, senior vice president of Corporate Research and Development at Procter & Gamble.
Both Dow and P&G have bold ambitions to accelerate circularity. Dow has a sustainability target to Transform the Waste and commercialize three million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions by 2030, and P&G’s vision is to use 100% consumer packaging designed to be recycled or reusable by 2030.
