Dow has entered into a joint development agreement with Procter & Gamble (P&G) Company to develop new proprietary recycling technology for hard-to-recycle plastic waste.
The collaboration aims to develop recycling technology that can efficiently convert packaging into recycled polyethylene (PE) of near-virgin quality with a reduced greenhouse gas emissions footprint compared to fossil-based PE.
The two companies will focus on using the dissolution process and will integrate their respective patented technologies and expertise into the project.
The process will recycle a wide range of plastic materials, with a primary focus on PE and post-household plastic waste such as rigid, flexible, and multilayer packaging, which are traditionally more challenging to recycle.
The joint technology aims to deliver high-quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymer, which is then expected to be used by P&G to manufacture its consumer packaging.
P&G’s move to use PCR material for its packaging will further contribute to a circular approach that maximises resource utility and minimises material waste.
The global partnership between Dow and P&G is effective immediately and will continue until the commercialisation phase.
Both companies bring extensive experience in materials science, manufacturing capabilities, and large-scale supply chain management to the table.
P&G Corporate Research and Development senior vice-president Lee Ellen Drechsler said: “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.”
Dow and P&G share ambitious goals to enhance circularity within their respective operations. Dow aims to transform waste and commercialise three million tonnes of circular and renewable solutions by 2030.
Meanwhile, P&G's vision includes having 100% of its consumer packaging designed to be recycled or reusable by the same year.
In June last year, Dow collaborated with P&G China to introduce new recyclable air capsule e-commerce packaging.
