Our Commitments: Renewable Energy

Dow continues to advance sustainable chemistry through innovative approaches to meet Dow’s 2015 Sustainability goals, while addressing the growing demand in the carpet industry for products with sustainable attributes.

In 2008, Dow will begin piping methane gas, a renewable energy resource, from a local landfill to its Dalton, Georgia latex manufacturing plant. Using LOMAX™ Technology, Dow expects to use approximately 240 billion BTU per year of landfill gas (that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere) instead of natural gas, to generate steam for the production of latex carpet backing.

Municipal landfills are the largest human-generated source of methane emissions in the United States according to the US EPA, and as a greenhouse gas, methane has over 20 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2). The Dow facility, through capturing and burning the methane, will help mitigate global warming by reducing Dow’s use of fossil fuels and the landfill’s methane emissions.

The amount of energy is equivalent to the electricity used in approximately 2100 average U.S. homes annually and the annual reduction in CO2 emissions per year – more than 27 million pounds – equates to keeping 2,300 cars off the road each year. And homeowners can make a contribution too: installing carpet manufactured with LOMAX technology can reduce their CO2 emissions by 7 to 8 pounds.

This kind of innovative thinking and collaborative effort is just one example of how the Human Element at Dow is contributing to more sustainable chemistry solutions; for more, please visit http://www.dow.com/commitments/studies/index.htm

About Dow

Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of innovation, science and technology to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company offers a broad range of products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $49 billion and employs 43,000 people worldwide. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.

For Editorial Information:

Jennifer Holzinger
The Dow Chemical Company
1 989.636.8537