Page 279 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

Chemical Industries 255

from petroleum products. Cargill’s BiOH™ polyols are man-
ufactured from renewable, biological sources, such as vege-
table oils. Foams made with BiOH™ polyols are comparable
to foams made from conventional polyols. As a result, each
million pounds of BiOH™ polyols save nearly 700,000 pounds
of crude oil. In addition, Cargill’s process reduces total energy
use by 23% and carbon dioxide emissions by 36%.
• Low-emission paints. Latex paints require coalescents to help
the paint particles flow together and cover surfaces well.
Archer Daniels Midland developed Archer RC™, a new bio-
based coalescent made from plant oils, to replace traditional
coalescents that are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In -
stead of evaporating into the air, the unsaturated fatty acid
component of Archer RC™ oxidizes and even cross-links into
the coating. This new coalescent has other performance advan-
tages as well, such as lower odor, increased scrub resistance,
and better opacity.
• Recyclable carpet backing. Conventional backings for carpet
tiles contain bitumen, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polyure-
thane. EcoWorx™ carpet tiles have a novel, 100% recyclable
thermoplastic backing that uses less toxic materials and has
superior adhesion and dimensional stability. Because Eco-
Worx™ carpet tiles can be readily separated into carpet fiber
and backing, each component can be easily recycled.
• Nontoxic wood adhesive. Adhesives used in manufacturing
plywood and other wood composites often contain formal-
dehyde, which is toxic. Oregon State University, Columbia
Forest Products, and Hercules Incorporated developed an
alternate adhesive made from soy flour. Their environmen-
tally friendly adhesive is stronger than and cost-competitive
with conventional adhesives. During 2006, Columbia used
the new, soy-based adhesive to replace more than 47 million
pounds of conventional formaldehyde-based adhesives.
Another stimulus for environmental awareness in the chemical
industry is U.S. EPA’s Design for Environment (DFE) Program (see
Chapter 3). EPA forms voluntary partnerships to collaborate with
businesses, trade organizations, and other interested parties to design
or redesign products, processes, and environmental management
systems to be cleaner, more cost-effective, and safer for workers and
the public. One key initiative is the Formulator Program, which labels
products that EPA has reviewed and found to be safer for human
health and the environment. EPA currently allows use of its DFE label
on more than 600 products, and tens of millions of DFE products
have been sold to consumers and institutional purchasers. In 2008,