“Dow commits to transform plastic waste and alternative feedstock to deliver 3 million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions per year by 2030.” - DOW

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Dow has been persistent in producing quality packaging that preserve food’s freshness, taste and overall quality. With years of production experience, Dow has committed to finding ways to reduce food waste and in turn reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere.

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According to a study by Connect4Climate, humans on average either lose or waste 1.3 billion tonnes of food – due to quick spoilage, the foods not being consumed in their freshness time period, being lost from farm to public supplier or just not wanted to be eaten – in fact about 45% of all fruits and produce are wasted per year, along with 35% of seafoods and 20% of meats.

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Now the question is, what is the best way to keep fruits and produce fresh for longer? Many can argue that glass or plastic containers are the best way, while yes that is a stable solution, Dow believes this to be true as well – but, the packaging from transport into store is the most important. Correct packaging can not only keep the content fresh, but also keep the nutritional value higher.

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Dow has turned over to designing, creating and developing more innovative ways and tools to make plastics recyclable and biodegradable. Through a multitude of recycling technologies, breakthrough sustainability innovations and the production of recyclable plastics, Dow is pushing for a healthy balance in reduction in food while creating cleaner plastics.

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In 2021, they announced their collaboration with transportation company Bolloré on a pilot project that would create a plastic that is recyclable after use. Dow has also partnered with Mura Technology in hopes to develop a chemical recycling technology that enables all forms of plastic, including multi-layer and flexible, to be recyclable. Mura Technology is an advanced recycling company that is committed to help decarbonize the petrochemical industry and eliminate global plastic pollution.

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Dow has also set off on an initiative to have 1 million metric tons of plastic collected, reused or recycled by 2030. Driving for a more circular and sustainable future, Dow vows to make all their plastics reusable or recyclable by 2035.  

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How does this correlate to the emission of greenhouse gasses? Well, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, an estimated 8% of those emissions come from food waste – that’s equivalent to 87% of the global transportation emissions. Products produced in different countries also have different levels of carbon intensities, due to the difference in ingredients grown, regulated chemicals used on fruits and vegetables, the equipment used to plant and harvest produce, transportation and many other external factors.

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By reducing the production of non-recyclable plastics, greenhouse gas emissions will decrease, in turn decreasing our contribution to the global carbon footprint – pushing towards the assurance of a more sustainable and zero net future.