UPM BioVerno naphtha is produced from crude tall oil, a residue of pulp making process, and is used by Dow to produce bio-based polyethylene. UPM BioVerno replaces fossil raw materials in plastic production and helps the customers to reduce their carbon footprint.
MIDLAND, US/HELSINKI, FINLAND: Dow, in partnership with UPM Biofuels announces the commercialization of a plastics offering for the packaging industry made from a bio-based renewable feedstock.
UPM is a producer of advanced biofuels. Dow is integrating wood-based UPM BioVerno renewable naphtha – a key raw material used to develop plastics – into its slate of raw materials, creating an alternative source for plastics production.
Dow is using this feedstock to produce bio-based polyethylene (PE) at its production facility in Terneuzen, The Netherlands, for use in packaging applications such as food packaging to reduce food waste. Following a successful year-long trial program, Dow is now planning to scale production and address the increasing global demand for renewable plastics.
UPM BioVerno naphtha is produced at UPM’s biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland, from crude tall oil, which is a residue of paper pulp production. Unlike many other alternative renewable feedstocks, no extra land is required for the feedstock production. The feedstock originates from sustainably managed forests.
Through these efforts, post-consumer plastics will continue to have value through an extended lifespan. These agreements also contribute to Dow’s commitment to incorporate at least 100,000 tonnes of recycled plastics in its product offerings sold in the European Union by 2025.
“The partnership between UPM and Dow illustrates our ambition to ensure the products we sell support the shift from a traditional linear economy towards a circular economy. At the end of their useful life, products and materials are recovered as efficiently as possible so they can be used again. We are focusing on the sustainability properties of every polymer we bring to market by working with partners like UPM to source alternative feedstocks to minimize the amount of fossil resources required for production,” said Carsten Larsen, Dow’s recycling commercial director for Europe.
“It’s exciting to work with Dow and Elopak in the production of a truly sustainable consumer product. We are pleased to help meet value chain demand for increased sustainability in packaging by providing a highquality renewable naphtha for the market,” added Panu Routasalo, vice president for UPM Biofuels.
© Worldofchemicals News