It is well known that global megatrends along with changing demographics are driving consumer demand for new and innovative plastics technologies. Growing global populations, a rising middle class, and expanding urbanization are a few of the market drivers that are powering growth in the plastics industry. World-class innovation supported by investments in new capacity that meet this demand is what the Dow Chemical Company, through its Performance Plastics division, will be showcasing at K 2016 - the largest global gathering of the plastics and rubber industry, held on October 19-26, 2016 in Dusseldorf, Germany.Dow has made significant investments in building new capacity to address growing global demand for polyethylene and other specialty materials. This includes the Sadara joint venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that will support growth in fast growing regions in Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, along with new projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast that are designed to support growth in the Americas.
"We are committed to helping our customers grow with an increased supply of leading polyethylene products in addition to world-class innovation," says Diego Donoso, Business President, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics, "Sadara and our Gulf Coast projects will enhance Dow's global footprint to bring us closer to our customers with high-performing raw materials that support innovation and growth."
Additionally, a primary enabler to Dow's ability to support customer growth on a global and local scale are Dow's seven Pack Studios, strategically positioned around the world in Brazil, Italy, China, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States. Pack Studios' global network of packaging experts, equipment and testing capabilities accelerate the collaborative development of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions - many of which will be on display at Dow's stand (K48 in Hall 8a) at K 2016.
Delivering Solutions, Unlocking Opportunities
Examples of these solutions include Dow and Finepack Industries in Ghana, who worked together to make a splash in the West African drinks market with a first-of-its-kind, sustainable film - a 55 micron collation shrink film, an anomaly in a market dominated by 80 micron films.In Brazil, Dow and Adecol, a dynamic adhesive manufacturer, collaborated on Adecol's strategy to expand their application range. Adecol needed a high-quality hot melt adhesive (HMA) solution that would allow them to bring a differentiated solution to their customers and the combination of Dow's materials science knowledge and Adecol's market expertise enabled Adecol to successfully introduce a new tailor-made HMA solution, Performelt, for a wide range of packaging applications.
For consumers looking for a truly soft touch and a sensorial experience, Dow's PoucHug offers packaging manufacturers an innovative new solution to enhance shelf presence, functionality, conversion efficiency, as well as the opportunity for a full polyolefin-based structure while meeting the growing trend for a more authentic, natural and premium look.
Addressing the need for improved conversion efficiency, packaging efficiency and sustainability, Dow's new AGILITY EC performance resins have been developed to challenge current packaging performance limits. The new family for the extrusion coating (EC) market brings performance benefits in output, mechanics, optics and flexibility, expanding Dow's current family of AGILITY resins to make faster and lighter coatings.
Dow's global asset footprint, world-class expertise, award-winning innovations, and collaboration partners uniquely position the company to continue to deliver innovative solutions that address global challenges and to unlock opportunities that drive global growth within the plastics industry. Visit www.faceofinnovation.com to learn more about how Dow is bringing innovation to life. Stay up-to-date with the latest news and events, and find out more about the Dow stand in Hall 8a.
