Two corporate powerhouses are clubbing together to develop a new polyethylene recycling technology.
Proctor & Gamble (P&G) – the consumer goods giant behind brands like Head & Shoulders and Olay – and chemicals giant Dow have teamed up to create a new recycling technology which converts hard-to-recycle plastic packaging into ‘near-virgin quality’ recycled polyethylene.
The tech is known as ‘dissolution-based polyethylene recycling technology’ which uses a solvent to separates and purify polymers. It will deliver high-quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymer with a lower greenhouse gas emissions footprint than fossil-based polyethylene.
P&G expects to use this PCR polymer in its packaging, reducing the amount of materials which will be treated as waste.
The two giants are expected to team up until the tech is commercialised.
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Lee Ellen Drechsler, senior vice president of corporate research and development at P&G, 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 Packaging & Specialty Plastics and Hydrocarbons vice president for research and development Dave Parrillo added: “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.”
According to a WWF report, P&G has made progress to reduce problematic plastics that contain hazardous chemicals, hinder or disrupt the recyclability or composability of other items, and/or have a high likelihood of leaking into the environment.
