Partnership between Dow and Haldor Topsoe will turn waste plastics into circular plastics

• About 300 million tons of plastic waste is produced every year on a global scale. The partnership between Dow and Topsoe marks a new initiative to efficiently convert waste plastics to circular plastics, keeping them out of the environment and responsibly reclaiming their value.
• Plans include Dow to proceed with the design and engineering for a 10,000 ton per year market development unit using Haldor Topsoe’s PureStep^TM technology to purify pyrolysis oil feedstock derived from waste plastics for use in circular products.
• Dow’s development unit will advance the technology for industrial-scale purification of circular feedstocks, which will be used to meet strong market demand for circular polyethylene.

Dow intends to build the market development unit at their production site in Terneuzen, the Netherlands. Photo: Dow.

Waste plastics in the environment is a climate issue. Advancing the circular economy for plastics maximizes the sustainability benefits that plastics bring across the value chain in a more carbon-efficient way. The construction of a market development purification unit will help solve a key challenge in closing the loop for waste plastics. Topsoe will support Dow in meeting its 2030 circularity targets, including Dow’s target to enable 1 million metric tons of plastic to be collected, reused or recycled through its direct actions and partnerships.

“Advancing the circular economy for plastics requires scale for feedstock recycling and clean up that does not yet exist broadly, so we are partnering to help accelerate it,” said Diego Donoso, president of Dow’s Packaging and Specialty Plastics business. “Leveraging Haldor Topsoe’s technology and expertise will help us de-risk scale-up of purification capabilities aligned with our efforts to Stop the Waste and Close the Loop.”

A first step agreement is in place between Dow and Topsoe to leverage lab-scale capabilities to support the design and engineering of the new 10,000 ton per year market development unit (MDU), which will be built at Dow’s site in Terneuzen, the Netherlands.

“Dow shares our commitment to accelerate more sustainable solutions. Our decades of experience in developing carbon emission reduction technologies complement Dow’s core strengths and can facilitate their roadmap to carbon neutrality. There are many opportunities to grow and advance our respective technologies, which are vital to decarbonization and circularity,” said Fei Chen, Senior Vice President, Clean Fuels and Chemicals Technology at Topsoe.

The objective for Dow’s new purification MDU is to validate the technology to produce circular products and to accelerate the scale needed to support strong market demand for circular polyethylene.

About PureStep^TM
PureStep™ utilizes Topsoe’s hydroprocessing technology to remove impurities from liquified feedstock. This means new plastics can now be created from low-grade mixed waste - including tires, municipal solid waste and products containing PVC. Not only does this revolutionary solution remove the need of fossil-based resources, it also reduces reliance on costly and time-consuming sorting or decreases used plastic going to landfill or incineration.

**

About Haldor Topsoe
Haldor Topsoe is a global leader in supply of catalysts, technology, and services to the chemical and refining industries. Topsoe aims to be the global leader within carbon emission reduction technologies by 2024. By perfecting chemistry for a better world, we enable our customers to succeed in the transition towards renewable energy. Topsoe is headquartered in Denmark and serves customers around the globe. In 2020, our revenue was approximately DKK 6.2 billion, and we employ around 2,100 employees. www.topsoe.com

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company, with a purpose to deliver a sustainable future for the world through our materials science expertise and collaboration with our partners. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer care. Dow operates 106 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $39 billion in 2020. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.

More information
Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68
Mail: ulfr@topsoe.com