Page 44 - Plastics News June 2019

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Dow and DEEP C partner to build the first road using recycled plastics

in Vietnam

ow and DEEP C signed a Memorandum of Understanding and contribute toward a plastics circular economy. The
D(MoU) to build the first road using recycled plastics plastic waste used in the project is mostly post-consumer
at the DEEP C Industrial Complex in Haiphong City in flexible packaging, such as polyethylene film. Vietnam is
Vietnam. The project aims to divert post-use flexible currently one of the top producers of plastic waste with
packaging from becoming litter or entering a landfill, urban areas like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City seeing an
while also creating more durable, longer-lasting roads. A estimated 80 metric tons of plastic waste entering the
first 1-kilometer segment, to be completed in September environment as litter every day.
2019, will divert nearly 4 metric tons of flexible packaging

Maine, Vermont Pass Laws

Restricting Single-Use Plastic

Bags

aine and Vermont became the third and fourth
Mstates to pass laws restricting single-use plastic
grocery bags, and advocates for similar legislation
here are calling for Massachusetts to follow suit.
"The bill to restrict single use plastic bags has been
pending in Massachusetts for more than a decade,"
– the equivalent of roughly one million pieces of flexible MASSPIRG executive director Janet Domenitz said in a
wrappers – which will be supplied by Dow customers in statement. "It's time to line up next to our neighbors
the surrounding areas. Upon completion, the new road and pass this bill, filed by Rep. Lori Ehrlich and Sen.
will be tested by the Vietnam Maritime University prior Jamie Eldridge, and reduce the plastic pollution that
to expanding the project throughout the complex. The plagues our beaches, our playgrounds, our public
project will engage local governments, waste collectors works, our parks, and our environment." According
and the plastic industry value chain to tackle the marine to MASSPIRG, 1 percent of the billions of plastic bags
debris and plastic waste issue in Vietnam and to develop used each year in America are recycled, and the bags
better end markets for plastic waste. This cross-industry are used for an average of 12 minutes. More than 95
collaboration shows the commitments each organization cities and towns in Massachusetts have adopted some
has to advancing a circular economy and reducing the sort of bag ban at the local level. Sen. Jamie Eldridge
amount of waste in the environment.“Dow has a strong and Rep. Lori Ehrlich's bill (H. 771, S. 462) would
commitment to ending plastic waste, in part by finding take that policy statewide, prohibiting stores from
innovative ways to transform plastic waste into new providing customers a single-use carryout bag at the
products,” said Mr. Ekkasit Lakkananithiphan, general point of sale, beginning August. 1. Stores would need
director of Dow Vietnam. “We developed more than 90 to make recycled paper bags available for a charge of
kilometers of asphalt roads containing plastic waste in
India, Indonesia, Thailand and the US which provides us 10 cents and could sell reusable bags to customers for
with foundational knowledge that we can apply for this at least 10 cents. The Maine bill institutes a 5-cent fee
project in Vietnam.” Advancing a circular economy was on shopping bags, and the Vermont bill carries a 10
identified as one of Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals in cent fee, according to MASSPIRG, which said another
2015. Roads developed with recycled plastic demonstrates bag bill has passed the Connecticut Legislature and
that plastic waste can be a valuable renewable resource is on Gov. Ned Lamont's desk.

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