Month: September 2024

Originally published in International Paper’s 2023 Sustainability Report

In 2023, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) honored International Paper with a Leadership in Sustainability Award for Resilient U.S. Forests. The award recognized our innovative approach to promoting forest bird awareness and conservation within the forest product supply chain in partnership with the American Bird Conservancy (ABC). This multi-year partnership aims to integrate bird conservation into our procurement operations and value chain and provide a measurable contribution towards reversing the decline of forest birds.

One of the significant outcomes of this partnership is targeted work with an iconic bird species in the Southeastern U.S.: the Swallow-tailed Kite (STKI). STKIs are one of North America’s most beautiful birds of prey, with distinctive black and white plumage and a long, forked tail. They are also long-distance migrants that spend their spring and summer months in the Southeastern forests of the U.S. and then migrate to their wintering grounds in South America.

Since 2021, working with the Avian Research and Conservation Institute, nine STKIs have been trapped and fitted with radio transmitters near International Paper mills in South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana. This year alone, five STKIs have received transmitters. These transmitters allow us and our conservation partners to follow the STKIs’ movements across the landscape so we can further understand their specific habitat needs. Additionally, we can enter that data into our ForSiteTM mapping system to target conservation efforts and outreach in the most strategic areas.

This past year, the transmitters allowed researchers to document the amazing journey made by one of the male STKIs captured in Georgia, named Barrington. The bird’s migration started on the Altamaha River, where it led the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to a pre-migration roost of over 600 STKIs — the first of its kind outside of Florida. The trackers then followed Barrington for four months on a long and winding journey over the Gulf of Mexico, including a 48-hour stretch over water, before continuing through South America into Bolivia and central Brazil — a truly incredible flight.

Forest certification

Forest certification underpins our commitment to sustainable forest management. Our procurement systems and mills are certified to the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification™ (PEFC™) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) chain of custody standards and the SFI Fiber sourcing standard.

To meet the growing customer demand for certified products, our internal FSC forest management group, Certified Forest Management (CFM) LLC, helps small, private landowners become FSC-certified cost-effectively. It has become the largest privately run group of certified landowners in the U.S.

Since 2012, CFM has enrolled and maintained FSC forest management certification for:

920,769 acres in 607 properties across 11 states

Read more

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com/.

About International Paper – EMEA

In Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), International Paper focuses on the production and marketing of fiber-based packaging and specialty pulp, employing approximately 4,400 people. As a leading supplier of high-quality corrugated containers for a multitude of applications, we serve customers throughout the region from our network of two recycled containerboard mills and 23 box plants in France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Specialty pulp is made in Gdansk, Poland. Other products available from International Paper in the region include a variety of Kraft linerboard and other pulp products.

13th consecutive year Dow technologies earn this prestigious recognitionDow set the bar in the Mechanical/Materials CategoryThis marks 63 cumulative awards, the most of any company in the history of the R&D 100 Awards

MIDLAND, Mich., September 3, 2024 /3BL/ – In the 2024 R&D 100 Awards, Dow (NYSE: DOW) led the way in the Mechanical/Materials Category with four winning technologies and one finalist. These award-winning products were commended for helping transform industries with their exceptional properties.

“We are extremely delighted in the fact that Dow has been acknowledged on the R&D 100 list for an unbroken streak of thirteen years. Over this period, the company’s products, people, and technologies have garnered a total of 63 awards – more than any other company,” stated A.N. Sreeram, the Senior Vice President of Research & Development and Chief Technology Officer at Dow. “The reason for our success remains our people, who are committed to creating more unique products and solutions for our customers, addressing higher performing demands on our products and technologies while simultaneously being sustainable, and generating value for our shareholders.”

From enhancing power and telecommunication applications, to providing water repellency for clothing, and promoting recyclability in flooring applications — these innovations highlight Dow’s commitment to superior performance and sustainability.

Dow’s 2024 R&D 100 Award winners:

AXELERON™ 6321 BK Telecom Cable Compound is a black, UV-stabilized HDPE cable jacket material designed for power and telecommunication applications, such as Prysmian’s Sirocco™ Microduct Cables. This innovatively designed jacket is laser printable, has a low coefficient of friction (COF) and extremely low shrinkage to enable extremely high fiber count in smaller diameter cables and increase cable installation efficiency offering excellent toughness, weather resistance, and high-speed extrusion processing.

DOWSIL™ 2080 Resin is ideal for creating powder form silicone modified polyester resin using a solventless process. This innovative resin enhances heat resistance, improves film appearance and boosts the durability of powder coatings. By using this resin, manufacturers can achieve high-quality, resilient, and visually appealing coatings suitable for various applications.

DOWSIL™ IE-9100 Emulsion is a remarkable product composed of 81% bio-based material. It offers exceptional, long-lasting water repellency, making it ideal for outdoor and performance clothing. This innovative emulsion ensures that garments remain dry and comfortable, even in challenging weather conditions. By incorporating DOWSIL™ IE-9100 Emulsion, manufacturers can produce high-performance clothing that caters to customer demands for active lifestyles and sustainability.

PARALOID™ Additives help the upcycling of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) recovered from used car windshields into vinyl flooring and carpet backing applications. Additives regularly used for modifying the properties of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) required significant innovation to enable their incorporation into recycled PVB while providing the needed performance improvements. These products are currently being application tested by customers.

Dow’s 2024 R&D 100 Award finalist:

DIRTSHIELD™ 17 Emulsion is a sustainable premium exterior binder designed without benzophenone – a material of concern (carcinogen category 1B). It facilitates high-quality acrylic paint formulation for outdoor use with long-lasting superior durability, color performance and proven dirt resistance.

Initiated in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards stands as the sole science and technology awards contest that acknowledges the technological importance of new commercial products, technologies, and materials that are ready for sale or licensing. The renowned worldwide science and innovation competition celebrated its 62nd year and received entries from 16 different countries and regions. The R&D 100 Awards program is globally acknowledged as a mark of high distinction within the research and development community. This program honors ground-breaking innovators and their significant contributions to the fields of science and technology.

While awards demonstrate our success and innovation in the industry, it’s our people that make it all possible. Visit the Dow Awards page to learn more about our achievements and the incredible team behind them.

The full list of 2024 R&D 100 Awards winners may be viewed on R&D World.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.

For further information, please contact:

Omar Khan
Onkhan@dow.com

Sarah Young
989-638-6871
syoung3@dow.com