Dow Unwraps Packaging Science, Sustainability Topics with New Podcast

95 percent of consumers believe their personal actions can make a difference in reducing unsustainable waste, and many are demanding that brands help empower their actions. Forward-thinking companies including Kellogg are responding — reaching out to the packaging industry for products that simplify consumer recycling.

A new podcast from Dow, “Plastics Unwrapped,” provides savvy brands an insider’s look into some of the latest innovations in recyclable plastics that material scientists are developing in labs around the globe. The podcast covers plastic’s role in reducing carbon emissions, the nuances of bioplastics and how they can revolutionize the market and designing for recyclability.

Industry experts tackle complex and fascinating science and sustainability questions such as: What are renewable feedstocks, and why do they matter? How can the packaging industry demonstrate the benefits of circular plastic?

Join Dow sustainability leaders from around the world on “Plastics Unwrapped” — now live on Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts:

• Episode One: Emotion vs. Science (31:06 minutes) — Join Jim McClelland of SustMeme magazine, and Dow’s Marco ten Bruggencate and Carsten Larsen for a discussion on the emotional responses we associate with plastics. Find out how brands can address personal concerns on plastic waste with new, scientific approaches to choosing materials.

• Episode Two: Bioplastics (15:20 minutes) — Dow’s Thomas Reutter and UPM Biofuels’ Panu Routasalo talk about market growth for renewable feedstocks and how this supports the industry’s plans to reduce carbon emissions. They discuss why approaches such as mass balance are essential for supporting bioplastics market growth; the need to increase renewable feedstock levels; and how to collaborate on finding new, sustainable solutions.

• Episode Three: Designing for Recycling (24:20 minutes) — Dow's Romain Cazenave and Karin Katzer tackle some of the critical issues around recycling plastics. Why is recycling so difficult? What’s the difference between recyclable and recycled? Why do recycling rates change so drastically from country to country and even street to street? RB’s Krzysztof Krajewski also joins the discussion to share a perspective from one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies.

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