Dow recently developed and commercialized a new formulated post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic resin designed for collation shrink film applications in Asia Pacific.
The new resin is designed with 40 percent PCR content which creates a film with performance comparable to those made with virgin resins. The product, XUS 60921.01, is made with recycled plastics collected domestically within China through Dow's strategic recycling partners and is made at Dow's external manufacturing site in Nanjing, China.
"This new resin is helping to make a circular economy for plastics a reality, all without compromising on the performance that brand owners and consumers require," said Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president, Dow. "As a material science company, we have the responsibility to bring these products to market to prevent plastics from becoming waste in the environment."
The growing demand for e-commerce will require durable, efficient packaging that can protect products throughout their supply chains while producing minimal waste for consumers. Dow's new formulated PCR resin can provide brands and consumers with comparable performance to collation shrink film made with virgin resins to ensure products are delivered safely while also reducing the amount of plastic waste ending up in our environment.
The resin is designed to be used as 100 percent of the core layer of collation shrink applications and will enable the development of film with 13 - 24 percent recycled content.
The new formulated PCR resin also reduces carbon dioxide and energy footprints helping converters, brand owners and retailers meet their sustainability goals, while also giving a new end-of-life to plastics that otherwise would have become waste.
"Developing new end markets for plastic waste will help incentivize collection and recycling, enabling more recycled products to be developed while reducing the amount of plastics entering our environment," said Suny Markose, Asia Pacific commercial recycling director for Dow.
The new offering is part of Dow's comprehensive strategy to develop a circular economy for plastics by focusing on integrating recycled content into product offerings.