r Jeffrey Wooster, sustainability director at The Dow Chemical Company, Packaging and Specialty Plastics, to find out about its commitment to sustainability and to see the array of innovative solutions on display at the impressive Dow stand at interpack 2014.Dow’s global industry expertise and R&D capabilities provides a strong basis for developing packaging solutions that are smart, sustainable and cost-efficient. Mr Wooster comments, “The packaging industry is an innovative and exciting area to work in, and as a globally growing market that places value on technology and sustainability leadership it offers us the opportunity to develop new innovations and technologies.”
Sustainability focus
Exhibiting at interpack 2014, Dow also held a presence at the Innovationparc Packaging area and at the SAVE FOOD Congress and Forum sharing new ideas on sustainable packaging to help solve the global challenge of food shortage and waste. As a member of SAVE FOOD, a global initiative pioneered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Messe Düsseldorf GmbH to fight global food loss, Dow is firmly committed to developing sustainable packaging solutions.
Mr Wooster says, “Our agenda is to educate people on sustainability issues and to inform them of the wide ranging solutions available. Many of the problems surrounding food waste can be addressed with packaging solutions. For example at the consumer level we can provide packaging that extends the shelf life of products or offers improved convenience and safety. Our recent innovations around easy-opening packaging allow the consumer to have easy access to a product, this combined with lock-up seals in selected positions of the package reduces breakages and food spills when high opening forces are inadvertently applied.”
He continues, “Most people assume that packaging is damaging to the environment, a common misperception. However, packaging can provide insurance for a food product, keeping it fresh and ensuring it does not get damaged and therefore wasted during transportation.”
Latest solutions
With an overall investment of 1.6 billion dollars in research and development in 2012, Dow is forward-thinking in providing the latest solutions. Of note, Dow showcased easy-open packaging for pouches, bags, and trays with lids at interpack 2014.
SEALUTION™ Peel Polymers are formulated extrudable polyolefin-based resins Dow has developed for packaging converters. The film is easy to adhere to a tray or in a sealant layer on a pouch. The opening force can be tailored to suit the structure, size and content of the packaging for easy opening. Suitable for dry food (liners), high clarity lid stock-clear lidding films for cups and trays made from PE or PP, high clarity lamination films and sealant webs for lamination films; it requires no online blending, helps lower processing variability, and offers consistent easy-opening functionality, resisting splitting, shredding and tear stringing. Dow also presented its 100% polyethylene pouch currently available in the Latin American market. The 100% PE recyclable pouch offers a range of recyclability benefits. Using only one material, it can be recycled with existing PE bag and film recovery streams.
“We also focus on developments in areas such as stretch film, shrink film and stretch hood solutions for secondary transport packaging. For example, for 12-packs of canned drinks which may have conventionally been packaged in a cardboard tray, we are now offering a plastic film using significantly less material. It provides several functional benefits in terms of product protection, hygiene, and superior graphics, on top of the benefit of using less material than a corrugated case.”
Mr Wooster adds, “Providing a range of technologies for our customers gives them the choice of materials to best suit their needs and sustainability goals, whilst meeting the market requirements.”
He concludes, “As a company, Dow has significantly reduced its own carbon footprint and energy consumption over the past 20 years, exemplifying its own commitment to sustainability. On this basis, we have the expertise and knowledge on the sustainability goals of our customers, and can transfer this to the needs of the packaging market place.”
