Dow and RDM Group introduce circular food pack for PPWR compliance
Key takeaways
- Dow and RDM Group have unveiled a plastic-coated, paper-based food packaging solution.
- The innovation combines recycled paper and plastic barrier technologies.
- Dow and RDM Group aim to break down the material silos between paper and plastic, advancing sustainable packaging practices in the food industry.
Dow and RDM Group have launched the Multiboard CirculaRR, a plastic-coated, paper-based food packaging to help brands prepare for the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The solution is suitable for foods such as frozen fish, cakes, fruit, or dry pet food. Multiboard CirculaRR utilizes RDM Group’s fiber-based packaging know-how and Dow’s plastic barrier expertise.
The packaging is made from recycled paper and coated with recycled PE while maintaining functionality.
Krzysztof Krajewski, chief sustainability and innovation officer at RDM Group, says: “Multiboard CirculaRR is a packaging innovation that advances circularity in food packaging. Now its plastic part is certified as being made from recycled materials and is designed for recyclability.”
Multiboard CirculaRR builds on existing RDM Group technology. The Multiboard Barrier is a recycled cartonboard coated with 5% PE (by weight).
Krajewski continues: “In the packaging sector, paper and plastic are often seen as competing materials. Through our collaboration with Dow, we want to help the recycling industry move beyond the silos of fiber and plastic and focus on accelerating our common goal of advancing circularity and preventing packaging waste.”
Plastic coatings
The solution’s plastic barrier is certified under International Sustainability and Carbon Criteria, according to Dow. It has also achieved certification from ISEGA, an independent testing institute specializing in materials intended for food contact.
Marian Gmenta, senior marketing manager for circular and renewable solutions at Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics EMEA, says: “By combining RDM Group’s fiber‑based packaging expertise with Dow’s circular polymer know‑how, we have developed a food‑contact‑compliant packaging solution from recycled materials.”
“It has a broad application potential that supports brands and converters as they prepare for the PPWR.”
Dow explains that advanced recycling, in combination with mechanical recycling, can convert hard-to-recycle plastic waste into its molecular building blocks that can be used to produce plastic.
Last month, Dow Thailand Group, Taokaenoi Food & Marketing, and SCG Chemicals joined forces to recover the multilayer snack packaging waste generated from Taokaenoi’s production processes.
Recently, Packaging Insights spoke to the UK’s Foodservice Packaging Association, Huhtamaki, and Siegwerk to find out more about the latest trends shaping foodservice packaging innovation, including the drive for fiber solutions and recyclability.
