Dow to produce stadium wrap for London Olympics
Olympic partner Dow Chemical will produce a sustainable, fabric wrap that will encircle London’s Olympic Stadium during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, home to several athletic events, and the opening and closing ceremonies.
The wrap will comprise 336 individual panels – each approximately 25 meters high and 2.5 meters wide - and will help the stadium become the visual centerpiece of the London 2012 Games, according to Olympic officials.
Installation will be completed by spring 2012.
In keeping with a goal to stage a sustainable Olympic Games, Dow will repurpose the wrap following the 2012 Olympic competitions.
The wrap will include resins made by Dow’s performance plastics division and will require fewer raw materials to manufacture. It will be up to 35% lighter and have a lower carbon footprint when compared to conventional materials, the company said.
Other sustainable elements of the wrap include UV-curable inks replacing conventional inks to reduce emissions during the printing process and eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOC).
The wrap will include post-industrial recycled content and the hardware used to hang the wrap will be recycled in Europe following the Games.
George Hamilton, vice president of Dow’s Olympic operations, said the company is committed to finding a sustainable post-games use for the wrap and is investigating several options.
Hamilton said: “Our goal is to provide solutions that help make the Olympic Games more sustainable, safer and that will help improve performance. We’re providing this wrap as a sustainable solution for the Games and we look forward to celebrating its completion with Olympic fans around the world. We’re proud that the wrap will have a lasting and sustainable legacy, and one that will improve quality of life long after the closing ceremonies.”
Dow UK managing director Keith Wiggins added: “Dow has a strong commitment to sustainability, as documented in our 2015 sustainability goals. This commitment and our focus on innovation and scientific excellence are behind every stitch of the wrap.”
In July 2010, Dow announced its official Worldwide Olympic Partnership as part of The Olympic Partners Program (TOP).
As the official chemistry company of the Olympics, Dow is partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and National Olympic Committees around the world through 2020, it said.
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