Dow presents OPULUX™ HGT for high-gloss PE-based packaging at K 2019

Award-winning optical finishes enables redesigning packaging for recyclability while featuring remarkable heat resistance and exceptional appearance.
 

HORGEN, Switzerland – Dow (NYSE: DOW) introduces a new optical finishing for polyethylene (PE)-based packaging to support brand owners and converters in addressing recyclability targets. The new OPULUX™ HGT Optical Finishes can help replace PE/PET or PE/BOPP laminated packaging structures with a PE-based concept that offers high thermal and chemical resistance and delivers excellent optics. OPULUX™ HGT, which is suitable for many packaging formats and most common coating and packaging equipment, has been recognized as a breakthrough technology at this year’s Edison Awards in the bronze category.

“We’re constantly looking at ways to re-think the status-quo of packaging to advance the circular economy,” said Izzat Midani, marketing manager EMEA at Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. “With OPULUX™ HGT we are able to simplify the packaging structure to help enable recyclability while maintaining the shelf appeal of the final package.”

OPULUX™ HGT is a high-temperature, high-gloss varnish applied to surface-printed PE films of flexible packaging. It allows for broadening the processing window of the films and helps expanding the PE film performance. While replacing laminated substrates like OPET and BOPP in the outer layers with a monoply PE-based film, structure simplification and high conversion efficiency are accomplished. Converters can leave out the lamination step and benefit from a wider coating weight range as well as reduced wash downs.

Coveris, a leading European manufacturer of plastic and paper packaging solutions, is among the early adopters of the new technology. “We strive to balance the functional and sustainability performance of our products to deliver cost-effective solutions that can contribute to both our own sustainability goals and those of our customers,” said Eric Valette, Director of Innovation at Coveris Flexibles France. “Dow’s OPULUX™ HGT Optical Finishes helped us achieve exactly this balance in our pet dry food packaging, allowing us to create a robust and durable solution, convenient to use, with a great shelf appeal and that is viable for existing recycling infrastructures.”

By combining OPULUX™ HGT Optical Finishes with Dow’s innovative PE-based polymer solutions1 , brand owners and converters can redesign packaging for recyclability and achieve key packaging properties such as stiffness and dimensional stability, as well as remarkable glossy finishing for excellent packaging appearance on the shelf, heat resistance and a high sealing window for packaging efficiency.

1 High performance resins like INNATE™, ATTANE™ and ELITE™, efficient sealants such as AFFINITY™, as well as RETAIN™ barrier compatibilizers are used in these PE-based solutions.

Explore this solution at K 2019

Dow will be showcasing packaging enabled by the new OPULUX™ HGT Optical Finishes alongside its complete design for recyclability portfolio at K 2019 (stand K48, Hall 8a), the world’s largest plastics and rubber trade fair from 16-23 October in Dusseldorf. We’ll be there to listen, learn, discuss and be inspired: www.dow.com/k2019

About Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics
Packaging and Specialty Plastics (P&SP), a business unit of Dow (NYSE: DOW), combines core strengths of R&D, worldwide reach, broad product lines and industry expertise to deliver high performing technologies for end use markets in food packaging, personal hygiene, infrastructure, consumer goods and transportation. P&SP is one of the world’s largest producers of polyethylene resins, functional polymers, and adhesives, and, enabled by Pack Studios, is a leading innovator and collaborator across the value chain on sustainable application development and circular economy life-cycle design for plastics. www.dow.com/packaging

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines one of the broadest technology sets in the industry with asset integration, focused innovation and global scale to achieve profitable growth and become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow’s portfolio of performance materials, industrial intermediates and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for our customers in high-growth segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 113 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,000 people. Dow delivered pro forma sales of approximately $50 billion in 2018. 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.


For further information please contact:

Uta Ünal
Dow
+41 44 728 3671
uuenal@dow.com

Sergio Di Gesù
Porter Novelli
+32 2 413 03 40
sergio.digesu@porternovelli.be