In a trade show that put a strong emphasis on sustainable solutions, in particular on alternatives to traditional plastics, the presentation by Dow and Premi of caps made of recycled Surlyn was both logical and counter-intuitive. Indeed, this polymer is usually associated with a high level of transparency that may seem incompatible with the use of recycled materials.
40% of recycled Surlyn
The technical challenge of producing recycled caps was presented to Premi, an Italian company specialising in the design and manufacturing of standard and customised packaging for the perfume, make-up and cosmetics sector. The project to design caps from recycled Surlyn immediately appealed to the team at Premi, which places innovation at the heart of their development strategy.
Premi has been using Surlyn for many years and has mastered its use in a wide range of applications. The combination of the company’s expertise with Dow’s technical support has enabled Premi to produce caps made from 40% recycled Surlyn. The material is recovered from industrial plastic waste, which is crushed prior to being integrated into a new production process.
Market opportunities
“Adding this offering of caps based on recycled material to our existing portfolio is a great step in the right direction from a sustainability perspective. Sustainable solutions are at the top of the list of requirements for many of our buyers and brands and we are setting a new standard with these recycled Surlyn caps that retain the same premium qualities,” said Alessandro Prestini, CEO of Premi.
The large amount of recycled material used to make the caps prevented reaching the high level of transparency characteristic of Surlyn. The perfume caps presented by Dow and Premi at Luxe Pack have therefore been coloured.
Dow partners with organisations around the world to reuse and recycle plastic waste more efficiently. "This range of standard Surlyn recycled caps not only reduces plastic waste, but also allows us to move to a circular economy model. It is a step in the right direction as we continue to work with the value chain to initiate a circular model", says Shouhaib Mohamed, Marketing Manager Perfumes & Cosmetics at Dow.
