SHANGHAI, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dow (NYSE:
DOW) announced today the ground-breaking commercialization of
recyclable toothpaste tubes developed and manufactured in
Asia Pacific and used by major
consumer brands is now available on store shelves around the world.
The Company worked closely with leading global toothpaste brands to
bring the new sustainable solution into mass production. Coupled
with responsible disposal and recycling infrastructure, this
solution could help reduce the number of used toothpaste tubes
entering landfills.
Unrecyclable toothpaste tubes account for an estimated 100,000
tons of waste each year – roughly the weight of 10 Eiffel Towers.
However, making the tubes recyclable was a technically challenging
endeavor. Since toothpaste is sensitive to oxygen and humidity,
toothpaste manufacturers traditionally use tubes made from a
combination of different plastics as well as a layer of aluminum,
making the packaging nearly impossible to recycle. Using
high-performance polyethylene-based technology that meets
the same stringent performance requirements as traditional
multilayer tubes, Dow's new packaging solution solves the
recyclability issue by removing the aluminum layer while protecting
the integrity of toothpaste products. It also offers printability
thereby enabling brand owners to design for shelf appeal.
"Dow has made a commitment that 100 percent of what we sell into
packaging applications must be reusable or recyclable by 2035,"
said Diego Donoso, president of Dow
Packaging & Specialty Plastics. "Recyclable toothpaste tubes
represent another advancement in our commitment to drive circular
economy solutions together with our customers around the
world."
"We are excited to make recyclable toothpaste tubes a reality
for the oral hygiene industry by addressing the application
challenges with Dow's materials science expertise," said
Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president, Dow
Packaging & Specialty Plastics. "This new offering is part of a
broader product portfolio of solutions that helps consumer brands
reduce their environmental footprint and meet growing consumer
demands for sustainability without compromising product
performance."
In addition to toothpaste tubes, Dow has also launched several
all-PE flexible packaging solutions, which have gained traction and
adoption by leading Fast-Moving Consumer Goods(FMCG)brand partners.
These developments are part of Dow's efforts to achieve
its Close the Loop target for 100 percent of its packaging
solutions to be recyclable or reusable by 2035 and its target for
one million metric tons of plastic to be collected, reused or
recycled through its direct actions and partnerships by 2030.
Dow continues to collaborate with customers and value chain
partners across the plastics and packaging industries to find new
ways to extract the full value of plastic and help reduce the
overall environmental impact of packaging and plastics. Examples
include accelerating advanced recycling, advancing bio-based
renewable feedstocks, helping consumer brands design their packing
to be fully recyclable while also extending shelf life, to
finding new ways to give hard-to-recycled plastics a second
life.
The Company also recently announced several
advancements that will enable Dow to provide initial supply of
fully circular polymers to customers starting in 2022.
About Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics
Packaging
and Specialty Plastics (P&SP), a business unit of Dow (NYSE:
DOW), combines core strengths of R&D, worldwide reach, broad
product lines and industry expertise to deliver high performing
technologies for end use markets in food packaging, personal
hygiene, infrastructure, consumer goods and transportation.
P&SP is one of the world's largest producers of polyethylene
resins, functional polymers, and adhesives. Enabled by Pack
Studios, it is a leading innovator and collaborator across the
value chain in sustainable application development and circular
economy life-cycle designs for plastics. www.dowpackaging.com
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth,
asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading
business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company's
ambition is to become the most innovative, customer-centric,
inclusive and sustainable materials science company, with a purpose
to deliver a sustainable future for the world through our materials
science expertise and collaboration with our partners. Dow's
portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and
silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated
science-based products and solutions for its customers in
high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure,
mobility and consumer care. Dow operates 106 manufacturing sites in
31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered
sales of approximately $39 billion in
2020. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its
subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or
follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.
For further information, please contact:
Caroline
Huang
+86 21
38511473
Chuang19@dow.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DowNewsroom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dow/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/dow-chemical
Instagram: http://instagram.com/dow_official
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SOURCE The Dow Chemical Company