Moving Beyond Clean – with More Sustainable Solutions for Fabric and Surface Care

Dow offers an ever-increasing range of raw materials and formulation services that enable brand owners to develop products with stronger sustainability claims.

29/09/07 A paper presented at the 6th Asian Soap and Detergent Association conference in Taiwan, Dow Fabric and Surface Care described how it is addressing the key trend of sustainable chemistry.  The Dow Chemical Company recently launched Dow Fabric and Surface Care as a business unit focused on developing convenient, customized solutions for maintaining fresher, cleaner and healthier homes and businesses.

“Consumers are increasingly looking to go beyond cleaning and convenience – they want products that allow us all to leave a lighter footprint,” said Tony Frencham, general manager and global business director, Dow Fabric and Surface Care. “We have been hearing from brand owners and retailers, and through them from their customers, that they want performance and to lower resource consumption.  At Dow, we are addressing this need by offering raw materials that use fewer resources in their manufacture, including many made from renewable resources, as well as working with brand owners to formulate products that allow consumers to use less water and energy.”

More Sustainable Products, a More Sustainable Business Model

Dow has already committed to do just that in its 2015 Sustainability Goals, specifically aligned with the goal “to innovate to improve confidence that our products are managed safely throughout their lifecycle and develop products that will make a lasting, positive improvement on the world.”

Dow offers an ever-increasing range of raw materials and formulation services that enable brand owners to develop products with stronger sustainability claims.  Renewable content products such as Propylene Glycol Renewable (PGR) and our cellulose-based water soluble polymers have been strongly received, as has the recent release of our HEIDA biodegradable chelant. Sustainability doesn’t just extend to the products that Dow Fabric and Surface Care offers.

“We are adopting a business model that has seen tremendous success in sectors like Agriculture, Construction, Water and Automotive,” said Frencham. “Because Dow Fabric and Surface Care draws on the expertise and technology of the entire corporation, brand owners will benefit from Dow’s years of processing and chemical experience, including our rapid formulation development (RFD), to quickly meet changing market needs. The opportunities for innovation are only as limited as our imagination.”