Dow, Liby and LOVERE ink MoU to advance sustainability in packaging agenda

PR87691

SHANGHAI, Jan. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire-=KYODO JBN/ --

A three-way collaboration promoting fully recyclable packaging solution to

close the loop on plastic packaging waste

Dow (NYSE: DOW), Liby, a leading laundry brand in China, and LOVERE, an

internet environmental tech company, has signed a strategic three-way

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address plastic packaging waste and

promote a circular plastics economy in China. The MoU signing took place at

Dow's Customer Innovation Center in Shanghai, China.

Logo-https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1423321/Dow_Logo.jpg

The collaboration bolsters Dow's sustainability

target[https://corporate.dow.com/en-us/science-and-sustainability/plastic-waste.

html] to stop the waste and close the loop, and marks the start of a long-term

partnership to reduce plastic waste in the environment or landfill. The MoU

focuses on three key actions: keeping plastics out of the environment,

increasing collective impact through partnerships and delivering circular

economy solutions. The collaboration drives these actions through three main

areas of focus: designing for recyclability; collection of waste; and reusing

or recycling plastic waste. The collaboration represented by the MoU has the

potential to serve as an example of companies closing the loop and helping to

drive the healthy and dynamic development of the plastics industry.

In addition, under the terms of the MoU, Dow's INNATE(TM) tenter frame

biaxially oriented polyethylene (TF-BOPE)[https://www.dow.com/innatetf] based

and all-polyethylene (PE) packaging solution will be applied to other product

lines under Liby - expanding the use of fully recyclable packaging applications.

"We have seen increasing commercial adoption of designing for recyclability as

more companies pledge to use recyclable packaging for their products in an

effort to be more environmentally sustainable and responsible. Brand owners

like Liby are leading the industry in taking action towards closing the

plastics loop but beyond that, it takes all of us - industry peers,

associations, governments, non-governmental organizations, retailers and

end-consumers - working together to build a circular plastics economy," said

Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president for Packaging and

Specialty Plastics, Dow.

"Not many end-consumers know which plastic packaging can be recycled and how to

dispose them responsibly, resulting in material entering the wrong waste

stream," said Chen Jingye, CEO of LOVERE. "LOVERE's independently-developed and

Internet-connected Smart Sorting/Recycling Machines (SSRMs) is a technological

innovation aimed to close the loop, from sorting to treatment to recycling.

Consumers can sort and recycle their plastic waste at disposal simply through

their WeChat account. We plan to make SSRMs accessible by placing them at

various strategic points across the country, including residential districts,

commercial supermarkets, office buildings and industrial parks, and they will

be available at all times. At the end of 2020, LOVERE has recycled over 80,000

tons of urban waste, and we aim to do more with the signing of the MoU."

"Through this collaboration, with our expertise, we are closing the loop in the

waste management process and repurposing plastic waste into useful products. We

are excited to partner Dow and Liby to take a step further in creating awareness of

the benefits of recycling; and proper plastic waste disposal so that we can all play

a part to reduce packaging waste in the very community we are in."

The three companies have also committed to implementing content marketing as a

tool in getting more end-consumers to understand the value of recyclable packaging

and the concept of a circular economy, aimed at reducing plastic waste in China.

Zhang Liping, general manager of Liby Research and Development Center said,

"Through this partnership with Dow and LOVERE, our goal is to build new

consumer behaviours around the old adage: reduce, reuse and recycle for

environmental sustainability. At the core of it, plastics need to be viewed not

as waste - but as a valuable resource/ material that must be kept in the

circular economy loop. To catalyze an effective circular plastics economy, as a

brand owner, we have a shared responsibility to rethink plastic packaging; and

ensure recyclability of our products' packaging design. Being involved in the

designing of, and utilizing recyclable solutions for plastic packaging, we can

close the loop and make recycled plastic packaging a norm - while coming up

with innovative solutions to empower consumers to reuse and recycle plastic

waste together."

This MoU follows Liby's recent adoption of fully recyclable laundry packaging

for its laundry pods [https://corporate.dow.com/en-us/news/press-releases/liby-dow-chinas-first-fully-recyclable-packaging.html ], in a three-way collaboration between Dow,

Liby and Fujian Kaida. Dow's INNATE(TM) TF resins were utilized due to its

all-PE structure that allows the end-product to be recycled in existing recycle

streams, strong material properties offering high toughness in order to reduce

leakage during e-commerce transportation, as well as excellent optics for stand-up

shelf appeal and touch and feel.

Launched in July last year, Dow's INNATE(TM) TF-BOPE resins provide converters,

retailers and brand owners like Liby recyclable packaging solutions -

empowering partners to design for recyclability from the start. Partners can

choose materials with an innovative packaging solution that can achieve desired

properties and satisfy needs throughout its lifecycle, while being completely recyclable.

The signing of the MoU advances Dow's new sustainability target

[https://corporate.dow.com/en-us/science-and-sustainability/commits-to-reduce-emissions-and-waste.html ] to enable 1 million metric tons of plastic to be collected, reused or

recycled through its direct actions and partnerships by 2030 and to have 100 percent

of its packaging applications to be reusable or recyclable by 2035.

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, and enabled by Pack Studios, is a

leading innovator and collaborator across the value chain on sustainable

application development and circular economy life-cycle design 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. 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 and

consumer care. Dow operates 109 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs

approximately 36,500 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $43 billion

in 2019. 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.

About Liby

Liby is a leading brand of household detergents in China. Since its

establishment in 1994, its products have been well received by consumers. As a

leader in the field of home care, Liby specializes in technology in "China

Light Industry Green Detergents" key laboratory and industry academician expert

workstation in the industry. It currently owns 141 invention patents,

surpassing the number of patents owned by the next four largest competitors in

China. Liby is also one of the makers of China's washing and care industry

standards and has led or participated in the formulation. For more information,

please visit their website here[http://brand.liby.com.cn/].

About LOVERE

LOVERE, through its independently-developed and Internet-connected Smart

Sorting/Recycling Machine (SSRMs) aim to build a full chain from sorting to

treatment to recycling - utilizing technologies like mobile internet, cloud

computing, big data, internet of things as well as face recognition. Its SSRMs

are able to sort eight categories of recyclables (paper, metal, textiles,

cardboard, glass, plastics, beverage package as well as electronics), into more

than 40 categories of waste, and subsequently send them to recycling companies.

LOVERE will continue to promote the idea of 'recycling is the new fashion' and

explore new possibilities of high-value use of recycled products and create

more brands of recycled products - to build a recycling economy for the

sustainable development of our planet.

SOURCE Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics

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