Circular economy: how multinationals are recycling plastic waste, packaging in China to cut carbon emissions
- Dow, an American company, teamed up with Chinese milk brand Shiny Meadow to collect and repurpose more than 6,000 used plastic milk bottles
- China kicked off a five-year plan in January to phase out single-use and non-biodegradable plastic bags and packaging
Dow, an American company based in Michigan, has a target to work with partners to collect and recycle 1 million tonnes of plastic globally by 2030. In April it teamed up with Chinese milk brand Shiny Meadow to collect and repurpose more than 6,000 used plastic milk bottles.
Since 2017, Dow has entered into similar partnerships in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the US. It said the process can prolong the lifespan of roads, as well as cut energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
02:42
Chinese artist makes eco-friendly denim creations from old recycled jeans
“The intent is to give a second life to the [waste] plastic, and prevent it from getting into the environment,” said Bambang Candra, the Asia-Pacific commercial vice-president of Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. “With our materials science technology, we are able to turn hard-to-recycle plastic into useful materials.”