Dow Building Solutions (Dow), a global business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products division, today announced all STYROFOAM Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) foam plants in the United States are now producing STYROFOAM Brand XPS Insulation with BLUEDGE Polymeric Flame Retardant Technology, a leading edge sustainable flame retardant alternative. As a result, Dow’s conversion of STYROFOAM Brand XPS foam plants to BLUEDGE across North America is now complete.
“Building science innovations are crucial to sustainability advancement, and we are excited to continue leading the transition to a more sustainable future as we take one more step toward a global conversion,” said Tim Lacey, general manager for Dow Building Solutions. “Our objective is straightforward -- offer more sustainable solutions that work in many environments to meet the growing demands of energy efficiency regulations and architectural design.”
Dow took a phased approach with the conversions of STYROFOAM Brand XPS foam plants to BLUEDGE Polymeric Flame Retardant, starting with Japan in 2014, Europe in 2015, Canada in 2016 and United States in 2017. This allowed for a controlled conversion process to ensure business’ regional quality requirements were met while, at the same time, product availability met regional market demands.
BLUEDGE Polymeric Flame Retardant Technology was invented by Dow as an answer for a sustainable flame retardant solution for polystyrene foam. It is a drop-in technology to replace hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a common flame retardant with a less favorable environmental profile. Today, BLUEDGE technology is incorporated in Emerald Innovation 3000 marketed by Lanxess Inc., FR-122P marketed by ICL and GreenCrest marketed by the Albemarle Corporation. This next-generation sustainable flame retardant alternatives are available to other extruded polystyrene and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation manufacturers transitioning away from HBCD-based flame retardants through these suppliers.
This announcement comes on the heels of Dow’s continued progress to achieve its 2025 Sustainability Goals, which help to lead the transition to a sustainable planet and society. In May of 2017, Dow was named a Safer Choice Partner of the Year winner in the Innovator category by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) including specific mention of the BLUEDGE Polymeric Flame Retardant Technology. This recognition particularly supports Dow’s goal, Safe Chemistry for a Sustainable Planet, where the company envisions a future in which every material it brings to market is sustainable for our people and our planet. The Safer Choice award highlights Dow’s commitment to innovation towards safer and more sustainable chemistries.
Additionally, Dow recently announced 100 percent renewable energy procurement in North America for STYROFOAM XPS Insulation, as well as the validation from UL environment that STYROFOAM Insulation products in North America contain, on average, 20 percent pre-consumer recycled content. Continuing its focus on sustainability, Dow also announced a partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council earlier this year to deliver solutions that contribute to building more sustainable communities and cities.
Dow remains committed to applying its science and engineering expertise to create sustainable solutions to environmental challenges across the globe. Adhering to its goals, Dow continues to reduce its own footprint and takes the lead in developing a blueprint for a more resilient future.
