Dow and RDM Group have launched Multiboard CirculaRR, a fiber-based food barrier packaging solution made entirely from recycled materials. The product combines recycled paper with advanced recycled polyethylene (PE) and is said to be suitable for food-contact applications, including frozen fish, cakes, fruit trays and dry pet food.

The solution builds on RDM Group’s existing Multiboard Barrier product, manufactured at the company’s facility in Fiskeby, Sweden. Multiboard Barrier is a recycled cartonboard coated with around 5% PE by weight. The low polymer content is said to allow the packaging to be collected and processed within existing mixed paper recycling streams.

The plastic component of Multiboard CirculaRR is certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) system, confirming the use of recycled plastic from advanced recycling through a mass-balance chain of custody. The solution has also received certification from ISEGA, an independent testing institute, confirming its suitability for food-contact applications.

According to the companies, advanced recycling works alongside mechanical recycling to process hard-to-recycle plastic waste by converting it back into molecular building blocks that can be used to produce plastics with virgin-like quality.

“Multiboard CirculaRR is a breakthrough packaging innovation that advances circularity in food packaging. Now its plastic part is certified as being made from recycled materials and is designed for recyclability,” said Krzysztof Krajewski, chief sustainability and innovation officer at RDM Group. “In the packaging sector, paper and plastic are often seen as competing materials. Through our collaboration with Dow, we want to help the recycling industry move beyond the siloes of fibre and plastic and focus on accelerating our common goal of advancing circularity and preventing packaging waste.”

Marian Gmenta, senior marketing manager for circular and renewable solutions at Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics EMEA, said, “By combining RDM Group’s fibre-based packaging expertise with Dow’s circular polymer know-how, we have developed a food-contact-compliant packaging solution, exclusively from recycled materials, with broad application potential that supports brands and converters as they prepare for upcoming EU packaging requirements such as PPWR.”

The solution has been independently assessed using the testing protocol developed by 4evergreen, a cross-industry alliance focused on improving the circularity of fibre-based packaging. According to the companies, these tests confirm that Multiboard CirculaRR is designed to be recyclable within established paper recycling systems.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requires all packaging placed on the EU market to be recyclable by 2030 and introduces mandatory recycled plastic content targets. The companies say Multiboard CirculaRR is intended to help brands and converters prepare for these requirements.

Multiboard CirculaRR will make its industry debut at interpack 2026, taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 7–13 May. Prototypes will be on display at Dow’s stand in Hall 9, C24.