Dow to transform 3 million MTPA of plastic waste by 2030

Dow Inc. announced that it will accelerate its sustainability targets set in 2020. By 2030, Dow will transform plastic waste and other forms of alternative feedstock to commercialize 3 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) of circular and renewable solutions. It  will build industrial ecosystems to collect, reuse or recycle waste and expand its portfolio to meet rapidly growing demand, Dow announced.

“We are expanding our commitments to address plastic waste and meet customers’ increasing demands for more sustainable and circular products,” said Jim Fitterling, Dow’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Through investments in key technologies, infrastructure and strategic collaborations, we are expanding our Stop the Waste goal to reflect the transformation of Dow’s plastic franchise and leadership to enable a circular economy. We will increase the value of waste and enable a new industrial ecosystem to grow, which in turn will allow Dow to scale our ability to produce circular and low-carbon emission solutions.”

It is expected that the waste required to produce 3 million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions per year by 2030 will surpass and replace Dow’s original 1 million metric ton goal.

“Our expanded sustainability target reflects our commitment to raise the bar for ourselves and the broader industrial ecosystem as we leverage our materials science expertise, commitment to circular innovation and productive collaboration with our partners,” said André Argenton, Dow’s chief sustainability officer and vice president of Environment, Health & Safety.

Several recently announced circular and mechanical offtake agreements and projects will help contribute to achieving the target, including:

• Agreements with Mura Technology to construct multiple world-scale advanced recycling facilities in the U.S. and Europe, collectively adding as much as 600KT of annual capacity;
• An investment to build the largest single hybrid recycling site in France, managed by Valoregen, which will secure a source of post-consumer resins (PCR) for Dow;
• A collaboration with Nexus Circular to create a circular ecosystem in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A., for previously non-recycled plastic building on its previous Hefty® EnergyBag® collaboration with Nexus and Reynolds Consumer Products;
• Mechanical recycling collaboration with Boomera LAR in Brazil;
• An investment in Mr. Green Africa and an agreement to co-develop more traceable, fair, and high-quality PCR that can be used in the production of new flexible plastic packaging; and
• A memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lucro Plastecycle to develop and launch polyethylene (PE) film solutions using PCR plastics in India.

To support Dow’s expanded target and to support accelerated success through stronger focus, increased accountability and robust decision-making, Dow has also recently formed a new business platform, Circular & Renewable Solutions, aligned within the Packaging & Specialty Plastics operating segment. Daniella Souza Miranda leads this new business platform as its global business director.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates our strong commitment to increase our use of feedstocks from recycled and renewable sources,” said Diego Donoso, president of Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “The creation of the Circular & Renewable Solutions business platform will accelerate our ability to deliver on these enhanced commitments and advance our circular plastics business model.”

Progress against the revised target will be included in the Company’s consolidated Environmental, Science and Governance report, INtersections.