From Purpose to Action: Building a Sustainable Future Together

We believe that the solution to stopping plastic waste is understanding that the material is too valuable to be lost in landfills. We can change what is traditionally considered waste and transform it into a valuable, sustainable resource through advanced recycling.

With specific investments, partnerships and innovations all directed at the various steps of the plastics system, Dow’s approach provides a blueprint for how industry can build a foundation for a circular economy and the reduction of emissions.

Dow aims to not only provide more sustainable products, but to share our expertise to support people and our planet’s wellbeing. For that expertise to reach its highest potential, it must be backed by international cooperation at every level.

Through Dow’s ‘Looped In’ series, sustainability experts across the company connect with industry leaders to discuss initiatives and partnerships that work toward building a more circular economy and explore what we can learn from the results.

While the use of green chemistry is critical to mitigating adverse environmental impacts, there remains a gap in education of chemists and an overall lack of awareness in the industry. We sat down with John Warner, one of the founders of the field, to better understand how green chemistry is helping to enable a more sustainable future through science.

Although progress is being made to advance a circular economy, converting difficult-to-recycle flexible plastics and films, such as plastic bags, into new products has largely been untouched by recycling innovators. Dow, Circulate Capital and Lucro Plast-e-cycle are partnering to change that.

Long-standing, effective recycling systems are right at our fingertips, waiting for their full potential to be realized. Let’s reinvest in mechanical recycling to blend tried-and-true science with enhanced systems to reimagine how sustainable cities can operate and make them a reality.

Since we last dove into “Plastics Unwrapped,” Dow and its guests have continued to cover some of the most impressive innovations in the plastics industry, while also exploring solutions to our most daunting sustainability challenges.

As issues caused by plastic waste and climate change come to a head, finding new uses for end-of-life plastics and other materials will be vital to achieving a low-carbon future.

In Dow’s ‘Looped In’ series, sustainability experts across the company connect with other industry leaders to discuss circular initiatives and partnerships, and what we can learn from the results.

As climate- and waste-related issues continue to evolve, the next generation will create and deliver sustainable solutions that decision-makers haven’t yet dreamt of. That's why we must engage these rising leaders about the path to circularity and carbon neutrality.

As the world races to find solutions to some of the greatest challenges of a generation – from climate change to reducing plastic waste – the Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund offers a unique opportunity for business and investors to reimagine what’s possible for plastics and our planet.

Although circularity goals have risen to the top of executives’ agendas, the path to a waste-free world remains less clear. Fortune magazine’s latest white paper, produced in partnership with Dow, aims to help sustainability leaders and practitioners understand the current challenges and collaborate on circular solutions.

While packaging waste is a critical issue, it must be considered alongside the issue of food waste. Fortunately, advances in plastic food packaging are helping to delay spoilage across the food production cycle more sustainably.

Ensuring recyclability starts with putting people at the forefront to develop new systems and materials to create a continuous lifecycle for plastics. We need to design systems for humanity. By harnessing design thinking, it’s possible to make human-centered recycling systems a reality.

Noticing that litter is a problem is the first step in taking action to create a cleaner, more sustainable planet. The next step is taking action. Partner with community members and local organizations to get involved and create meaningful change.

In Dow’s ‘Looped In’ series, Global Sustainability Director Jeff Wooster talks with circular economy advocates from major brands to discuss promising initiatives and partnerships, and what we can learn from the results.

Dow’s Pack Studios has collaborated with consumer brands and helped create products that enable plastic packages to be lighter with the design features consumers want — thus improving packaging, meeting consumers’ needs and ultimately reducing waste.

Dow is committed to supporting women at every level of its business — so that, as doors open to the next generation of female leaders, so do new ideas for delivering sustainable solutions.