Dow Chemical and London 2012 in Olympic stadium venture

The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has confirmed that Worldwide Olympic Partner, The Dow Chemical Company will produce a sustainable, fabric wrap that will encircle London’s Olympic Stadium during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, home to several athletic events, and the opening and closing ceremonies.

The wrap will comprise 336 individual panels – each approximately 25m high and 2.5m wide – and will help the stadium become the visual centrepiece of the London 2012 Games. Installation will be completed by spring 2012.

In keeping with LOCOG’s 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. 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 Olympic Operations, said the company is committed to finding a sustainable post-games use for the wrap and is investigating several options.
Hamilton also 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.”