Dow launches new Revoloop recycled plastic resins

In what is being called an “exciting evolution in the recycling narrative,” Midland, Michigan-based Dow Chemical Co. has partnered with RKW Group, a German manufacturer of polyolefin-based films, to launch two new grades of resins under Dow’s Revoloop recycled plastic resin product offering, including a resin with up to 100 percent postconsumer recycled (PCR) plastic.

The two new grades of Revoloop resins are approved for nonfood contact packaging applications. One grade contains 100 percent PCR and the second is a formulated grade containing up to 85 percent PCR derived from household plastic scrap material.

“With the launch of our new grades of Revoloop recycled plastic resins, we continue to expand our sustainability portfolio, working with brands, converters and recyclers to design new ways to use less plastic in packaging and to help that what is used is fully recyclable,” says Fabrice Digonnet, plastics mechanical recycling strategy leader EMEA at Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “Our Revoloop launch is an exciting evolution in our recycling story and enables us to achieve new circularity and low-carbon targets.”

Until now, Dow says, the plastics industry has struggled to maximize recycled plastic household waste to reach demanding applications like collation shrink films, and the company notes that the new Revoloop launch addresses those challenges.

“This collaboration brings a brand new collation shrink film to the market,” says Konrad Noniewicz, director of research and development and application engineering at RKW Group. “By integrating Revoloop 100 [percent] PCR and Revoloop contain recycled plastic household waste with virgin materials, we create a flexible packaging solution that meets the requirements for mechanical recyclability, ensuring compatibility with existing recycling processes and contributing to the transition toward a circular economy.”

Dow’s Revoloop resins are used in various applications, including shrink films, protective packaging, heavy-duty shipping sacks, stretch films and liners.

By 2030, the company aims to “transform the waste” and commercialize 3 million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions annually, and says the launch of the new Revoloop resins comes with a “new promise” to unlock even more value in plastic scrap for customers and partners.

“This collaboration between Dow and RKW is a testament for a strong and effective relationship across the value chain, pushing the limits of mechanical recycling and accelerating the circular economy,” Dow says.