Dow and RDM launch Multiboard

Dow and RDM Group have launched Multiboard CirculaRR, a food-contact packaging board made from recycled cartonboard and recycled plastic. (corporate.dow.com) The product is a paperboard sheet with a thin polyethylene coating, a common way to keep moisture and grease out of packs for frozen food, fruit trays and dry pet food. RDM said its existing Multiboard Barrier line is used for those higher-barrier jobs. (rdmgroup.com 1) (rdmgroup.com 2) What is new is the material mix: RDM and Dow said CirculaRR uses recycled cartonboard and polyethylene made from advanced recycling, with the plastic content certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS system. (corporate.dow.com) (rdmgroup.com) RDM said the base product is made at its Fiskeby mill in Sweden. The company’s product sheet says the polyethylene layer can be as little as 3% to 5% of the overall structure, which is low enough for the board to be processed in mixed paper streams under existing mill practices. (corporate.dow.com) (rdmgroup.com) The companies are pitching that combination at a moment when European packaging rules are tightening. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 was published in January 2025, entered into force on February 11, 2025, and generally applies from August 12, 2026. (eur-lex.europa.eu) (packaginglaw.com) Dow and RDM said the board is designed for recyclability and food contact compliance, with ISEGA certification for food-packaging suitability alongside the ISCC PLUS recycled-content claim for the plastic layer. (rdmgroup.com) That matters for paper-based packs that still need a plastic barrier. Paper gives stiffness and printability; the plastic skin does the sealing and moisture protection, but too much plastic can make fiber recovery harder in standard recycling systems. (rdmgroup.com) (corporate.dow.com) Dow said prototypes will be shown at Interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf from May 7 to May 13, giving brand owners and converters an early look before the European Union rules begin to apply in August. (polymerupdate.com) (packaginglaw.com) For now, the launch is less about replacing all plastic packaging than about keeping a barrier layer while shifting both the fiber and plastic inputs to recycled sources. (corporate.dow.com)