In the Netherlands, Dow is using renewable naphtha produced by UPM in its Terneuzen cracker.
The naphtha, produced from wood and trade named BioVerno by UPM, ultimately is used to produce biobased polyethylene for use in packaging applications. Dow is planning to boost usage of the renewable feedstock after a successful year-long trial.
“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,” says Carsten Larsen, Dow’s recycling commercial director for Europe. “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.”
UPM produces BioVerno at its Lappeenranta, Finland biorefinery using crude tall oil, a residue of paper pulp production.