Procter & Gamble (P&G) and the Dow Chemical Company have joined forces to develop a new technology aimed at extracting high-quality polyethylene (PE) from plastic waste. The two companies have combined their intellectual property in dissolution recycling with their expertise in large-scale manufacturing and materials science to create a cutting-edge process that can recover PE from complex plastics.
Dissolution recycling is a technique used to separate a specific polymer from impurities found in plastic materials. In this collaboration, the focus is on PE, which can be extracted and used in various new applications once separated from other materials. P&G plans to use the recovered material in new packaging, promoting circularity and maximizing the use of resources.
The joint development agreement between the two companies targets the recovery of PE from post-household plastic waste, including rigid, flexible, and multi-layer packaging. One of the main objectives of the partnership is to create a process that generates lower emissions compared to traditional fossil-based PE production or other advanced recycling technologies. The work has already begun, and both companies are committed to continuing it until commercialization is achieved.
