 December
6, 2010 -
Dow Polyurethanes, a global
business unit within The Dow
Chemical Company (Dow), has
become the lead sponsor of the
Specialty Sleep Association’s
(SSA) Environmental and Safety
Program. Dow’s support helps
enable the development of a new
SSA consumer education section
on its website, a training
module for retail sales
associates, and the creation of
a social networking platform all
designed to give greater
guidance and advice to consumers
on buying environmentally
friendly sleep products.
“Dow Polyurethanes
demonstrates its commitment to
the bedding industry by offering
innovative technologies and
supporting leading efforts to
develop standards for
sustainability and consumer
education. The SSA’s new
environmental program is one of
the key initiatives helping
consumers better understand the
composition of the products they
are buying and their impact on
our environment,” said Umberto
Torresan, North American market
manager for Dow Polyurethanes.
According to SSA President
Dale Read, the Dow sponsorship
is an important step in the
consumer education portion of
the group’s program.
“Over the past several
months, we have been working
closely with a number of
manufacturers who are beginning
to use our seals, and retailers
who have expressed interest in
making sure their suppliers are
a part of our program. Dow’s
funding enables us now to focus
on the critical part of the
program that is directed toward
educating the consumer,” he
said.
Read said the addition’s to
the SSA website were already
underway, and that the retail
sales associate training program
and the social networking
platforms would be complete in
the next 60 days.
The SSA’s environmental seal
program offers three progressive
levels of environmental and safe
levels that manufacturers can
attain. For each level there is
a seal affixed to the mattress
that explains what standards
have been met, and a label in
which the manufacturer lists the
ingredients inside the mattress.
Boyd Specialty Sleep and
Natura World are the first two
national manufacturers to join
onto the program. Nearly a dozen
more manufacturers are in the
application process to adopt the
new program for their brands.
About Dow Polyurethanes:
Dow is the world's largest
producer of propylene oxide
(PO), propylene glycol (PG) and
polyether polyols, and is a
leading producer of quality
aromatic isocyanates, such as
MDI and TDI. Dow's polyurethane
products enhance a broad range
of applications including
construction, automotive,
furniture, bedding, appliance,
decorative molding, athletic
equipment and more. The business
provides key ingredients,
systems and solutions for rigid,
semi-rigid and flexible foams,
adhesives, sealants, coatings,
elastomers and binders. VORANOL™
VORACTIV™ polyols exemplify
Dow’s ongoing initiative to lead
the industry in providing
high-performance products that
meet critical consumer needs.
For more information,
visit
www.dowpolyurethanes.com,
www.dowpg.com,
www.dowpo.com and
www.voractiv.com.
About Dow: Dow
combines the power of science
and technology with the “Human
Element” to passionately
innovate what is essential to
human progress. The Company
connects chemistry and
innovation with the principles
of sustainability to help
address many of the world's most
challenging problems such as the
need for clean water, renewable
energy generation and
conservation, and increasing
agricultural productivity. Dow's
diversified industry-leading
portfolio of specialty chemical,
advanced materials, agrosciences
and plastics businesses delivers
a broad range of
technology-based products and
solutions to customers in
approximately 160 countries and
in high growth sectors such as
electronics, water, energy,
coatings and agriculture. In
2009, Dow had annual sales of
$45 billion and employed
approximately 52,000 people
worldwide. The Company's more
than 5,000 products are
manufactured at 214 sites in 37
countries across the globe.
References to "Dow" or the
"Company" mean The Dow Chemical
Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries unless otherwise
expressly noted.
More information about Dow
can be found at
www.dow.com.
About the SSA: Founded
in 1995, the Specialty Sleep
Association (SSA) is a national
not-for-profit organization
created to facilitate the growth
and positive awareness of the
specialty sleep category. Its
members develop and/or sell
specialty sleep products,
including natural and organic
bedding, latex, memory foam,
polyurethane foam, air, gel,
water, adjustable, new spring
technologies and related
products. SSA membership
includes more than 100
manufacturers and retailers
ranging from small, family-owned
businesses to large
corporations.
For more information
regarding the SSA, please
contact Executive Director
Tambra Jones at: 559-868-4187 or
559-676-8639,
tambra@sleepinformation.org
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