Nov 19 2007
As part of its continued focus on finding innovative and sustainable solutions, The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) has begun construction on a project that will pipe methane gas, a renewable energy, from a local landfill to its Latex manufacturing site in Dalton, Georgia.
As a result of the collaboration and in an effort to meet the industry’s growing demand for carpet backings with sustainable attributes, Dow will soon produce latex carpet backing manufactured with LOMAX Technology.
“When carpet mills and their customers choose Dow latex backing, they can not only feel good about getting high-performance products, but also products with a positive environmental impact.” said Todd Crook, global marketing manager, Dow Carpet Latex. “In the manufacturing of our latexes, our target will be to replace nearly all the fossil fuel required to manufacture latex with methane gas that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.”
LOMAX Technology will use approximately 240 billion Btu annually of methane gas, which is equivalent to the amount of energy required to heat 2,100 US homes annually. Carpet backing manufactured with LOMAX Technology will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 27 million pounds annually – which is comparable to keeping 2,300 cars off the road each year.
Carpet backing products manufactured with DOW LOMAX Technology will be eligible to receive between two to five points under the renewable energy section of the new NSF 140-2007 carpet sustainability standard. Products manufactured with LOMAX Technology are also designed to meet Green Label Plus requirements, which allows specifiers to receive one LEED point. In addition, LOMAX Technology could qualify for an additional one to four LEED points under the ID (Innovation & Design Process) category.
Developments like LOMAX Technology are in keeping with Dow’s 2015 Sustainability Goals, an ambitious multi-part program to address some of the most pressing economic, social and environmental concerns facing the global community over the next 10 years. These goals reflect Dow’s commitment to the principles of Responsible Care® and have led to Dow’s recognition as one of the top performers in the global chemical industry by the 2007 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World).