Volunteers will use recycled trash bags to collect an estimated 4
million pounds of trash during the International Coastal Cleanup
MIDLAND, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, a business unit of DowDuPont
Materials Science, through its participation in the Trash Free Seas
Alliance ®, and in collaboration with flexible packaging manufacturer
Bemis Company, Inc. and Canada-based converter Polykar Inc., have
developed a trash bag made from post-industrial plastic scrap. The bags
will be used to clean up beaches around the United States during Ocean
Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup on September 16, 2017.
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“As the largest provider of plastics in the packaging industry, Dow is a
global advocate for resource recovery technologies,” said Jeff Wooster,
global sustainability director for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics.
“We’ve taken on the challenge with Bemis and Polykar, alongside the
Trash Free Seas Alliance®, to increase post-industrial recycling and
extend sustainable industrial practices to address a worldwide problem.
We know that if we work together, we can find a way to recover plastic
waste and use it to make an even a bigger impact on reducing marine
debris.”
The recycled trash bags are opening doors for new, previously
difficult-to-recycle packaging formats to enter the recycling stream. To
create the trash bags, Bemis collected the post-industrial plastic
scraps and sent them to Polykar, which used its plastic recycling
machines to combine the reclaimed plastics with Dow’s RETAIN™
technology. The resulting material is a recycled plastic resin, which
Polykar used to manufacture the bags.
Dow and the other collaborators released a video
detailing the process to manufacture trash bags, and reinforce their
longstanding commitment to reducing marine debris.
Dow is a founding member of The Trash Free Seas Alliance®, a global
initiative led by the Ocean Conservancy, which unites industry, science
and conservation leaders committed to identifying the causes and
developing land-based solutions to prevent waste from entering the ocean
seas. The coalition issued a report identifying
the major pathways of plastic leakage into the ocean and solutions to
properly concentrate and treat the plastic waste before it makes its way
into the ocean.
“It’s an exciting step forward to be able to use recycled materials to
collect and properly dispose of marine debris,” said Emily Woglom,
Executive Vice President at Ocean Conservancy. “This work is just one
example of the type of concrete solutions that we have identified and
worked towards with our partners in the Trash Free Seas Alliance.
Stopping waste before it ever reaches the ocean through proper waste
management practices is key to solving this global problem.”
To learn how to become involved in The Trash Free Seas Alliance®, visit www.TrashFreeSeas.org.
About Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics
Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, a business unit of DowDuPont
Materials Science, combines core strengths of R&D, worldwide reach,
broad product lines and industry expertise to deliver sustainable
solutions for plastics and adhesives markets. The business focuses on
high growth market segments in flexible and rigid food packaging,
secondary and tertiary packaging, personal hygiene and medical products,
and adhesive applications. One of the largest polyethylene producers in
the world, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics is a leading innovator
and collaborator across the value chain on solutions for better
packaging.
About DowDuPont Materials Science Division
DowDuPont Materials Science, a business division of DowDuPont (NYSE:
DWDP), combines science and technology knowledge to develop premier
materials science solutions that are essential to human progress. The
division has one of the strongest and broadest toolkits in the industry,
with robust technology, asset integration, scale and competitive
capabilities that enable it to address complex global issues. DowDuPont
Materials Science’s market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of
advanced materials, industrial intermediates, and plastics businesses
deliver a broad range of differentiated technology-based products and
solutions for customers in high-growth markets such as packaging,
industrials, and consumer care. DowDuPont intends to separate the
Materials Science division into an independent, publicly traded company.
More information can be found at www.dow-dupont.com.
ABOUT BEMIS COMPANY, INC.
Bemis Company, Inc. is a major supplier of flexible and rigid plastic
packaging used by leading food, consumer products, healthcare, and other
companies worldwide. Bemis works collaboratively with forward-thinking
customers to deliver inspired packaging that enables customer success.
Founded in 1858, Bemis reported 2016 net sales from continuing
operations of $4.0 billion. Bemis has a strong technical base in polymer
chemistry, film extrusion, coating and laminating, printing, and
converting. Headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, Bemis employs
approximately 17,500 individuals worldwide. More information about Bemis
is available at our website, www.bemis.com.
About Polykar
Co-founded in 1987 by Elyse Damdjee and Aziz Karim, Polykar is a
family business based in Saint-Laurent, Québec. The company began
as a manufacturer of industrial garbage bags, and today has 100+
employees and annual sales of $50 million. Polykar has become a leading
Canadian manufacturer of polyethylene film, certified compostable bags
and bulk food packaging and has developed expertise in plastics
recycling. Working alongside global partners, Polykar is proud to be at
the helm of technical and environmental innovation, working to improve
quality and production, as well as safeguarding the environment. The
company holds ISO 9001:2008 and 14001:2004 certifications as well as the
highest distinction (Gold) from Recyc-Québec’s ICI ON RECYCLE! program.
For more information about Polykar, please visit www.polykar.com.
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Source: DowDuPont