Dow Polyurethanes, a Dow (NYSE: DOW) business division, has launched a blockchain pilot project to see whether the platform can support flexible foam circularity. The RENUVA™ mattress recycling program uses a blockchain platform built by ChemChain to securely move validated product details.

The director of global product safety and compliance at Dow, Jihane Ball said what if they could make a circular product transparent without jeopardizing confidentiality? Their work on circular solutions with recyclers and customers has led them to this critical issue. To allow circularity at the end of product life, it is important to ensure that the correct compositional knowledge can be exchanged at every step in the value chain. He added that they’re using their pilot to test the managed transfer of product knowledge and add it to the circular RENUVA™ mattress recycling program.

Existing chemical industry information-sharing systems are unable to meet the demands for fast responses, accuracy, formula disclosure, and confidence in the supply chain. The introduction of circular goods has increased the need for effective and accurate data sharing across the supply chain. Blockchain technology can facilitate knowledge sharing by allowing traceability and providing fast access to validated data on a need-to-know basis.

Dow will create digital assets containing key encrypted information on the chemical composition of its solutions using the ChemChain platform, which was developed for the chemical industry. These assets can be incorporated into the final polyurethane-based products, meaning that the contents of a product can be established at all stages of its lifecycle. Recyclers will then quickly access this data and determine the best course of action for disposing of or recycling end-of-life mattresses.

ChemChain is a blockchain network built for the chemical industry to share knowledge about chemicals in goods through the supply chain, from chemical producers to customers, recyclers, and waste management companies. The platform is the result of the ChemChain European project.

Dow's RENUVA™ circular economy initiative, which seeks to advance the recycling of end-of-life polyurethane items in partnership with the supply chain, includes the RENUVA™ mattress recycling program.