Month: March 2025

Join me as I explore the innovative solutions and groundbreaking initiatives that are shaping the future of plastic recycling.

Plastic is an essential material. From the packaging that keeps our food fresh to technology that makes modern cars lighter to components that help make solar panels a more effective source of renewable energy, plastics are integral to realizing a sustainable future. They make consumer goods affordable, convenient, efficient, and even safer.

Considering all the benefits of this material, there’s also a challenge to address—plastic waste. The environmental impact of improperly discarded plastic is serious, and the world demands solutions. The United Nations and member countries are working on a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, with negotiations set to continue through 2025. This collaborative effort shows just how critical the issue is and how we can’t miss this opportunity to address it.

Solving the challenge isn’t simple. Plastic recycling rates today need to significantly increase, and there is no one solution or technology or organization that can tackle that alone. This is a powerful reminder of both the hurdles and opportunities ahead. This is the work I am involved with every day at Dow.

From our advanced R&D labs in Texas to cutting-edge AI-guided technologies, I’ve connected with some of the brightest minds dedicated to changing the future of plastics.

How do you recycle plastics?

At a global level, 9% of plastic is currently being recycled. To increase that amount, recovery technologies are helping to realize more value from discarded plastic. The most commonly used recycling method is called mechanical recycling. It is a process that turns plastic waste into new products without significantly altering the original molecular structure. This material can then be used in applications like trash bags, containers, and building materials.

Watch the film above or read along to join me as I explore the innovative solutions and groundbreaking initiatives that are shaping the future of plastic recycling.

Innovative recycling technologies and policy power the circular economy

As we work toward a circular economy, where materials like used plastics are continuously reused and repurposed, the integration of cutting-edge technology and supportive policy is essential. We want the recycling rate to increase. Consumers want that. Companies want that. It’s going to take infrastructure—it’s going to take policy—and it’s going to take some innovation.

Technological innovations driving circularity

A circular economy for plastics is being redefined by groundbreaking technologies. At our Pack Studios around the world, Dow experts are pioneering methods to incorporate recycled car parts, like bumpers, by developing innovative recycling solutions for the challenges posed by the many types of polymers used in vehicle manufacturing. This effort is crucial because our customers and the automotive sector are calling for increased post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in vehicles, pushing us to innovate continuously.

Consumer trends and global policy are driving this move toward improving the recyclability of complex products (like cars) and the increasing expectation for more PCR materials used in those products. Automotive brands and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are paying attention and responding to evolving regulatory policies around the world that would require them to include higher percentages of recycled materials in vehicles. Other consumer brands are moving to incorporate more recycled materials into product packaging. In all sectors, this effort requires innovation.

An exciting development at Dow is our joint development agreement with P&G, focusing on dissolution technology. This recycling method uses solvents to break down complex waste, transforming it into high-quality, food-grade applications. This technology is expected to increase the recyclability of traditionally hard-to-recycle plastic packaging and offer a PCR polymer with lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint compared to virgin, fossil-based material. P&G aims to use this innovative, recycled plastic in their own packaging, continuing the circular life of this material.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the playbook for how waste is cleaned and sorted. It’s exciting to see that technology begin to be applied to AI-guided recycling analyzers, and it reinforces the point that every new breakthrough, including those yet to come, matter in this work.

What is advanced recycling?

Advanced recycling, sometimes referred to as chemical or feedstock recycling, is a process that breaks down waste to the molecular level so it can be converted to new raw materials. This approach to recycling plastics breaks those materials down into polymers, the molecular building blocks for plastics.

The critical role of policy in waste infrastructure

Policy is a key enabler in unlocking the value of waste and creating robust recycling infrastructure. Policy for improved infrastructure helps pull waste out of the environment and landfills and keep it out. In turn, technology like the examples I’ve mentioned helps more of that waste to be used in PCR material.

One of the biggest challenges is not the availability of waste, but its usability.

To address these gaps, we need better infrastructure that can keep valuable material out of the environment and landfills while enhancing its quality for recycling. Partnerships and collaborations across the value chain and public and private sectors are essential to scale these efforts and bring about meaningful change.

Legislative actions, like the European Union’s proposed measures for end of life of vehicles, are pivotal in promoting the recycling of automotive components and plastics overall. This proposal in particular aims to increase the use of recycled plastics in cars and grow recycling rates, reflecting a significant shift towards a circular economy.

Collaborating to drive the future of plastics recycling and circularity

There’s a lot more that we all can do to help scale the system and to increase recycling rates. We need to work together across the entire materials ecosystem. Many sectors, including automotive, medical devices, consumer electronics, and packaging, are demanding materials that are designed for circularity and offer low-GHG-emissions to help meet their sustainability goals.

To deliver the solutions our customers are seeking, Dow has established partnerships around the world that are driving business growth through circularity.

An example of this is Dow’s partnership with Mura Technology to build multiple world-scale advanced recycling facilities in the United States and Europe, including in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Dow’s recent acquisition of Circulus, a leading mechanical recycler of plastic waste into PCR material, marks a significant step in evolving our business model. That means a plastics manufacturer is now a recycler. That’s a big deal.

By combining Dow’s materials-science expertise with Circulus’ film recycling technology, we aim to improve capacity for waste to be transformed into useful materials that are ready for a second life. This work underscores our commitment to supporting the reliable supply and quality of circular waste streams, which helps big brands around the world achieve their sustainability goals.

Paving the way for sustainable plastics and recycling innovation

We have to be willing to take risks, think BIG and invest in new ideas for plastics circularity.

Curious minds are at work around the world to solve some of the tough challenges related to plastic waste management. They are testing, learning, and developing to advance new solutions for more sustainable plastics, better recycling rates, and less dependence on fossil fuel.

It’s inspiring how our industry is supporting these experts in their exploration of bold ideas. At Dow, our R&D pipeline supports sustainability outcomes such as climate protection, the circular economy, and safer materials. These initiatives are not just about recycling more; they are about reimagining the very foundation of how we produce, use, and repurpose plastics—paving the way for a sustainable future.

A materials ecosystem is developing around plastic and renewable waste to deliver its total value. By repeatedly transforming plastic waste into new products, less waste ends up in landfills, incinerators or in the environment.

Connections around the world, through the materials ecosystem, are helping to address challenges like consumers’ evolving concern for their environmental footprint and the subsequent surge in demand for products and packaging with key sustainability benefits.

Wherever you may be within the value chain, I hope you will join us in the journey to harness the power of technology and policy to create a circular economy for plastics.

It’s about ensuring a cleaner, and more sustainable world for generations to come.

About the author

Haley Lowry is a global sustainability director at Dow with 19 years of experience creating new, circular business models and products that integrate social, environmental, and commercial goals across CPG, retail, and plastics.

Haley frequently discusses plastic, waste issues and plastic pollution solutions at Green Biz, USAID, SXSW, and Our Ocean. She has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a Top Women Breaking the Mold, and is a board member of several organizations, including the Recycling Partnership. She has been published in Sustainable Brands, WEF, and The Guardian.

As a passionate professional driving transformation and system change, Haley volunteers as a mentor and a consultant for social impact initiatives and enjoys being outdoors at every opportunity.

About the article

The film, Plastic 2.0: The coolest ideas disrupting the future of waste, was produced in partnership with the Economist Impact. It explores the value of diverse approaches and collaborative efforts to developing plastic pollution solutions and what is needed to unlock a circular economy for plastics.

Now more than ever, Impact Communicators hold the power to use their voice for purpose. We might know how to do this for our brands, but what about leveraging our personal stories?

We invite you to join Dana Snyder, founder of Positive Equation, with Charlotte Gilmour, Yulu Impact Communication’s MD of Environmental Communications, and Sabrina Lynch, Head of Strategy at Nuance Matters, to chat about how amplifying their authentic experiences through their personal brands have championed both their reach and purposeful missions.

It’s all happening on Thursday, March 13th at 9am Pacific // 12pm Eastern. Register now to save your spot.

See you on the 13th,

The ICI team

Impact Communications Institute
O: 604.558.1656
www.ImpactCommsInstitute.org

Originally published in Lenovo’s 2023/24 ESG Report

With a vision for a net-zero future, Lenovo knows the transition to a circular economy is critical. Collaboration and credibility are important to Lenovo during its net-zero journey and advancing a circular economy. To help scale circular economy solutions in the IT industry, Lenovo joined the Circular Electronics Partnership to collaborate with the technology industry, suppliers, and stakeholders. Lenovo’s vision to deliver smarter technology for all extends to its circular economy practices that include Smarter Circular Design, Smarter Circular Use, and Smarter Circular Return activities.

During the design phase, important decisions are made that can help improve circularity and Lenovo is continuously evaluating design decisions that can help reduce environmental impact. The use of recycled and sustainable materials is an important aspect of the circular economy on which Lenovo focuses.

New recycled materials are being researched and introduced into products. By FY 2025/26, Lenovo plans to include PCC plastic in 100 percent of its notebooks, desktops, workstations, and monitors. Since last fiscal year, Lenovo has expanded the types of components that contain recycled plastics as well as increased the usage of recycled aluminum, magnesium, and ocean bound plastic. Since 2008, Lenovo has used recycled plastic in products and is on track to meet its target of using over 136 million kilograms of post-consumer recycled content plastics by FY 2025/26.

Lenovo’s circular design decisions extend to its packaging as well. Lenovo is increasing its use of recycled fiber, recycled plastic and sustainable materials in packaging including bamboo, sugarcane, and sustainably forested fiber. Lenovo has a goal that by FY 2025/26, 90 percent of plastic packaging will be made from recycled plastics for notebooks, desktops and workstations. Lenovo has additional goals for smartphone product packaging, 60 percent of the materials will be recycled content and single use plastics will be reduced by 50 percent by FY 2025/26.

Lenovo can help advance a circular economy by optimizing the use of its products and parts. Improving the energy efficiency of Lenovo’s notebook computers, desktop computers, servers and smartphones is Lenovo’s goal. To extend the life of its products, Lenovo offers support and service options as well as other managed services and repair.

Lenovo has a goal that by FY 2025/26, 84 percent of repairs can be done at the customer site, without having to send their PC to a service center. Lenovo is keeping repairable parts in use longer and has a goal that by FY 2025/26, at least 76 percent of repairable parts will be repaired for future use. Lenovo offers enterprise customers second life data center products through its Lenovo Value Recovery business.

While Lenovo continues to expand its use of CL PCC from IT equipment, the circular return of IT products into the recycling systems and supply chain is essential. Lenovo offers consumers and commercial customers product return programs to keep the products and materials in circulation. Commercial customers need reliable and secure solutions to manage their technology at the end of life. Lenovo’s Asset Recovery Services maximizes value of IT and enterprise hardware. Lenovo also offers consumer recycling programs in major markets. Since 2008, Lenovo has enabled the recycling and reuse of IT equipment and is on track to meet its target of more than 362 million kilograms of IT products recycled and reused by FY 2025/26.

Lenovo’s ESG KPIs include those that support a circular economy. See Section 9.0 for more information.

Biodiversity

While biodiversity has not been identified as a material topic in Lenovo’s materiality assessment for the FY 2023/24 reporting period, Lenovo has seen the topic become an increasing priority among its stakeholders in recent years. Lenovo recognizes the biodiversity crisis and that business activities are a major driver of both climate change and nature loss. Lenovo further recognizes that while climate change is contributing to the biodiversity crisis, urgent actions are needed beyond emissions reductions to halt nature loss.

Considering this, Lenovo is monitoring the development of science-based targets for nature while assessing its own data and resource needs in this area. Lenovo has conducted an initial, internal review of the footprint of its direct operations (manufacturing, R&D, and large office locations) against Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), but anticipates its largest biodiversity impacts are within its upstream value chain where additional traceability is needed.

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