Amcor & Dow Enter Collaboration for Low-Carbon Packaging Solutions

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, and Dow, a global materials science company, entered a strategic collaboration designed to help brands and retailers accelerate adoption of low-carbon packaging solutions.

Under the collaboration, Amcor and Dow will work together to identify technically and commercially viable packaging applications, engage value chain partners early in the adoption process, and provide carbon footprint information to support customers as they navigate complex packaging decisions.

Together, Amcor and Dow aim to help brands and retailers easily implement and scale next-generation packaging solutions that deliver the required performance, quality and functionality while helping achieve their Scope 3 targets.

Building off a shared history of advancing greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts, the collaboration connects Amcor’s packaging innovation, manufacturing expertise and global reach with Dow’s low-carbon polyethylene, materials science and carbon footprint expertise. 

This collaboration comes at a time when companies have set ambitious GHG emissions reduction targets for Scope 3 emissions, which account for indirect GHG emissions across the company’s value chain and often represent the largest share of a company’s carbon footprint. 

Central to the collaboration is the Carbon Footprint Ledger (CFL) methodology, which is based on the existing industry precedents of mass balance in GHG accounting. CFL provides independently assured product carbon footprint information aligned with internationally recognized standards, including ISO 14067 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Standard. 

Combined with Amcor’s packaging expertise, the approach gives customers greater visibility into the climate impact of their packaging choices, helping them evaluate low-carbon packaging options with greater confidence and transparency.

“One of the biggest barriers to decarbonization is the gap between consumer interest and commercial commitment,” said Keith Cleason, business president, Packaging & Specialty Plastics, Dow. “Together with Amcor, we are testing a new commercial model through market-based mechanisms to reduce adoption risk, create clearer demand signals and help accelerate commercialization of low-carbon packaging solutions across the value chain. We are making it easier for brands and retailers to evaluate and integrate low-carbon packaging options that support both business growth and sustainability objectives.”

“Scope 3 emissions occur upstream and downstream in the value chain, making it difficult to reduce,” said David Clark, chief sustainability officer, Amcor. “Bringing low carbon polyethylene to market in packaging that meets the same technical and design standards is one of the simplest ways to help shrink a product’s carbon footprint. Because it’s truly a drop-in solution for brands, we see this collaboration as an exciting opportunity for them to translate climate commitments into action.”