Covestro’s scientific breakthroughs on the use of waste carbon and biomass as the raw materials to produce high-performance plastics will be showcased today at GreenBiz¹⁸ on the panel “Building a New Carbon Economy: Strategies for Turning Waste Carbon from Liability to Asset.”

The three-day GreenBiz¹⁸ (www.greenbiz.com) forum is being held Feb. 6-8 in Phoenix, Arizona.  The annual forum brings together sustainability leaders from the world’s largest companies to explore pressing challenges and emerging opportunities in sustainable business. More than 1,000 are expected to attend this year’s event.

Rebecca Lucore, U.S. head of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) at Covestro LLC, will discuss how Covestro is driving carbon productivity and closing the loop on the circular economy by harnessing waste CO₂ – greenhouse gas otherwise emitted into the atmosphere – and using it, instead of fossil fuel, as the raw material to manufacture flexible foam used in mattresses and furniture. 

In 2016, Covestro opened a production facility in Dormagen, Germany, dedicated solely to producing this CO₂-based foam. Late last fall, the company also announced a new consortium of 14 European partners who are exploring the capture of waste CO₂ from steel plants to use as the raw material to make high-performance plastics. 

Covestro scientists are also advancing the use of plant-based materials known as biomass, in this case, sugar from feed corn, to produce the building blocks for materials manufacturing. Until now, only petroleum-based products have been used.

About Covestro LLC:
Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business, which is among the world’s largest polymer companies with 2016 sales of EUR 11.9 billion. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, electrical and electronics, and medical industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 15,600 people at the end of 2016.

Find more information at www.covestro.us.

About GreenBiz and GreenBiz¹⁸:
The GreenBiz forum is held annually by GreenBiz, which advances the opportunities at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability.  Each year, the forum brings together more than 1,000 sustainability leaders from the business world, academia and NGOs to learn about the latest trends, make new connections with suppliers and peers and bring back innovative, actionable ideas. The event offers a rich blend of presentations, workshops and networking opportunities framed by the State of Green Business report, GreenBiz Group’s award-winning annual research report, analyzing key sustainability metrics and trends.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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Covestro LLC

Covestro LLC

Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business. Covestro manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical and sports and leisure industries. i³ (ignite, imagine, innovate) is Covestro LLC’s companywide corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative that aims to spark curiosity, to envision what could be and to help create it. Built on the three pillars of philanthropy (i³ Give), employee volunteerism (i³ Engage) and STEM education (i³ STEM), i³ seeks to create sustainable and lasting impacts.

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