The German drugstore chain dm has announced that it is offering the first product in a plastic bottle containing 30 per cent plastic made from recycled CO2. The dishwashing detergent under their own brand Denkmit is to be the prelude to a series of further products in the coming weeks that feature packaging made using CO2 conversion. The company wants to reduce the production of plastic from oil.

40 Per Cent Reduction in Ecological Footprint

The new biochemical technology has been developed by LanzaTech. CO2 is discharged directly from the chimney of an industrial plant into a bioreactor. There, bacteria convert it into ethanol. This can in turn be used as an ingredient in products, such as Pro Climate Denkmit dishwashing liquid concentrate, or as a sustainable raw material for plastic packaging, dm explains.

The technology is considered sustainable since recycling removes CO2 from the atmosphere and thus reduces emissions. According to a study by Swiss sustainability consultancy Carbotech, the ecological footprint of this production process for ethanol is reduced by 40 per cent compared to standard production methods. Plastic produced in this way can be recycled via the German Yellow Bag or the Yellow Bin system.

Award-Winning Packaging Innovation

The German Packaging Institute (DVI) recently awarded the CO2 conversion technology the German Packaging Award 2021 as well as the Gold Award for pioneering innovations in packaging.

Source, photo: dm