Dow Announces Strategic Investment in Advanced Plastics Recycling Startup Plastogaz
Chemicals and materials science giant Dow announced a strategic investment in circular plastics tech startup Plastogaz SA, aimed at advancing the company’s solution to convert waste plastic into circular feedstock, avoiding waste in landfills and reducing carbon emissions.
According to Dow, Plastogaz’s catalytic hydrocracking technology simplifies the process from waste to circular feedstock and then circular polymers, creating a solution that is more efficient and less energy-intensive than some other current forms of advanced recycling.
Dow stated that advanced recycling is a complementary process to conventional recycling but advanced recycling is able to recycle traditionally hard to recycle plastics, which are frequently incinerated or sent to landfills. The recycled products may also be used in food-contact packaging, and there is no limit to the number of times the same material can be recycled.
Working together, the companies plan to jointly accelerate the commercialization of Plastogaz’s process, which aims to increase efficiency and minimize the energy needs of advanced recycling.
Felix Bobbink, Founder of Plastogaz, said:
“We want to change the way the world thinks about plastics – not as something to throw away, but as a product that can be used over and over again, sustainably and without damaging our natural environment. If we want to make long lasting change, we need to work with like-minded and ambitious partners like Dow who have the potential to scale our technology.”
Dow said that it aims to bring reach and materials science expertise to help further develop technologies with companies like Plastogaz, who are focused on developing circular feedstock for plastics to enable global brands to eliminate plastic waste from their value chains and address the plastic waste crisis.
Keith Cleason, Dow’s Business Vice President of Olefins, Aromatics, and Alternatives, said:
“This is an important strategic step for Dow and advances our commitment to create circular plastics with the lowest possible CO2 footprint. We are excited to continue to collaborate with innovative start-ups like Plastogaz, who share our ambition to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and plastic waste, in line with our global sustainability goals.”