The Royal Society of Chemistry announced that Dow, along with Walgreens Boots Alliance, United Utilities and Northumbrian Water, have joined RSC’s sustainable polymers task force Sustainable Polymers in Liquid Formulation (PLFs) Task Force, which was convened to improve the sustainability of a class of polymers worth $125 billion every year.

 

The group seeks to provide leadership in creating a collaborative strategy to drive innovation throughout the value chain and across diverse sectors including cosmetics, water treatments, lubricants and agricultural products.

 

The group was established after our reports showed that an estimated 36 million tons of PLFs are made and sold each year – enough to fill Wembley Stadium 32 times over. As a group of thousands of different chemicals, PLFs are used as ingredients for specific functions – for example, they help paint stick to walls or hydrate your skin in moisturizers.

 

However, due to the huge variety of uses PLFs can have, they can be considered an often ‘forgotten’ group of polymers with common challenges and solutions – which our report highlighted is particularly important when it comes to matters such as collecting waste streams, recycling them or making them using more sustainable methods, as they are currently made mostly from fossil fuels.

 

Professor Tom Welton, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “Our report last year proved to be a real landmark moment. It identified common sustainability challenges facing polymer ingredients used in most households and workplaces – and said that we must address this without delay. Identifying how we can start to provide solutions and giving these chemicals a collective name, Polymers in Liquid Formulations, has allowed us to engage with some of the biggest companies in the world to spearhead action through our task force.

 

“The seriousness and enthusiasm with which the chemical industry has approached this from several sectors and parts of the supply chain drives home the colossal impact that can be achieved through ambition and collaboration. I welcome our new members who bring a wide range of perspectives from the whole value chain, which will be key to delivering a joined-up strategy.”

 

Task force members to date include: Afton Chemicals; BASF; CRODA; CROWN Paints; DOW; Northumbrian Water; Scott Bader; Unilever; United Utilities; Walgreens Boots Alliance.