Dow and Mengniu launch “breakthrough” monomaterial PE yogurt pouch in China

07 Aug 2023 --- Dow has partnered with Mengniu, a leading dairy company in China, to launch a monomaterial PE yogurt pouch. The product launch is designed to strengthen a circular economy in China by raising recyclability rates. 

Mengniu developed the pouch with Dow’s INNATE TF-BOPE resins, which uses bi-axially oriented manufacturing, a process that strengthens barrier properties in monomaterial films. 

The partnership says the product launch is a “breakthrough” for the dairy industry, as it enables traditional hard-to-recycle packaging to be integrated into closed-loop recycling streams through mechanical recycling technology.

“This partnership with Mengniu is a milestone for both brands to pioneer all-PE dairy packaging designed for recyclability in China. The country’s ambition to work toward zero-waste cities has changed how it tackles plastic waste,” says Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president of Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. 

Dow and Menginu’s monomaterial yogurt pouch.“This collaboration is a significant step in facilitating recyclability and empowering the possibilities for recycled packaging to be transformed into high-value applications through responsible disposal and appropriate recycling process, reducing our industry’s reliance on non-renewable resources.” 

Mengniu has set a goal to achieve 100% technically recyclable packaging by 2025, striving to adopt low-carbon packaging in all product lines. 

The dairy company’s monomaterial yogurt pouch will be unveiled at the 2023 International Dairy Forum between August 4-7 in Hohhot, Northern China, and will be available in supermarkets across the city.

China’s circular efforts 
Last year, ÜV Rheinland certified Dow’s all-PE recyclable packaging in China as capable of reducing life cycle carbon emissions by 35%.

China’s “Operation National Sword” policy, adopted in 2017, restricted waste imports from other countries as the government began seeking to cut its GHG emissions. 

In 2021, the government announced new restrictions on excessive packaging, requiring all food and cosmetics producers to adhere to specific guidelines determining the volume of packaging allowed in proportion to a product. 

Boosting recyclability design and infrastructure has also been promoted throughout the industry. Last month, researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong created an edible, biodegradable and transparent material using soy protein isolate to replace plastic in food packaging. 

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton