Kaida, Liby And Dow Combine To Launch Laundry Gel Vertical Pouch

On 16 October 2020, Dow announced that China's leading detergent brand Liby has selected INNATE™ TF Bi-oriented Polyethylene Resin (TF-BOPE) to help achieve full recycling of its laundry gel packaging. The first batch of Liby's laundry gels made with this material is now available at Liby's flagship shop on Tmall and Tmall Supermarket. This collaboration further advances Dow's latest sustainability target: by 2035, 100 per cent of the company's products used in packaging will be reusable or recyclable.

The launch of this fully recyclable gel packaging would not have been possible without the combined efforts of Dow, Liby Group and Kaida Group.

Dow's INNATE™ TF-BOPE resins offer enhanced toughness and stiffness, as well as better optical and printability, to more closely match the requirements of flexible packaging for on-shelf display and demanding e-commerce logistics. In addition, the all-PE structure of INNATE™ TF-BOPE resin makes it easier to recycle, providing significant sustainability advantages. With the many performance advantages, Fujian Kaida, as a comprehensive plastic packaging company, was responsible for the structural design and production of the Liby laundry gel packaging, using Dow's INNATE™ TF-BOPE resin in it.

"We are delighted to be working with Liby Group to be the first in China to develop fully recyclable laundry gel packaging. In recent years, China has been undergoing a series of plastic waste disposal reforms to accelerate the realisation of a green and sustainable ecosystem. This collaboration is also an important step in improving the recyclability and sustainability of laundry product packaging for millions of households," said Mingzhuang Li, vice president, Asia Pacific Commercial, Packaging & Specialty Plastics Business Unit, The Dow. "With our advanced research and development capabilities, we are helping brand owners such as Liby take action on their sustainability commitments to achieve a circular economy, a greener planet and a better future."

Dr Zhang Liping, General Manager of Liby's Innovation and R&D Centre, said: "Liby, as a leading brand in China's detergents sector, has products that are favoured by Chinese families. Liby advocates the concept of natural washing and care, guarding a green and healthy home, and with the majority of today's flexible packaging being non-recyclable, it is our responsibility to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated by product packaging. We are pleased to work with Dow to lead the industry in making the best use of plastic resources. By using Dow's INNATE™ TF-BOPE resins, we can minimise the environmental impact of our packaging. As the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission (GDRC) proposes to ban and restrict plastic products, Liby has also taken an important step towards achieving waste-free packaging."

"We are honoured to launch China's first fully recyclable flexible packaging with Dow and Liby. Dow's INNATE™ TF-BOPE resin and Deguan's BOPE film provided us with a unique design solution to help Liby achieve fully recyclable packaging. Kaida has always been committed to producing products that can be more environmentally and ecologically friendly. This partnership also illustrates once again the importance of working together to change the life cycle of packaging." said Guo Tao, General Manager of Fujian Kaida.

Earlier this year in July, Dow announced the addition of a revolutionary product to the INNATE™ family of precision packaging resins - INNATE™ TF biaxially oriented polyethylene resin (TF-BOPE) - to meet the industry's demand for high performance, consumer convenience, and recyclability. BOPE has also been recognised as a 'tailor-made' solution for achieving recyclability, helping brand owners to extend recyclable technology through the product design cycle, thereby enabling more plastic packaging to be recycled.

As part of the 2025 Sustainable Development Goals, Dow is committed to working with key industry partners to facilitate the development of innovative, sustainable packaging solutions that drive a healthy and thriving plastics industry. INNATE™ TF-BOPE resins offer innovative packaging solutions for converters, brand owners and retailers due to their unique molecular structure, which provides excellent physical properties and full recyclability compared to traditional polyethylene products.