Habitat for Humanity Builds Green in the Twin Cities

Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on April 26, 2009

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) dedicated the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified Habitat home in the Twin Cities metro in Crystal, MN on Saturday April 18. The Green Demonstration Home explored new products and building techniques, further developing the organization’s best practices in green building . These learnings will be shared across the Habitat for Humanity organization to be incorporated in future building projects. Cargill was the lead sponsor for the home. Interested in a tour?

The BiOH® Polyols team was excited about this Habitat project. Many of our team members volunteered at the home last fall. (I think most of us are better suited for our “regular” jobs versus careers in home building!) We partnered with Healthier Choice to donate carpet cushion made with BiOH polyols to Habitat for the home over the winter. And when the new family moves into their new home, they will relax comfortably in their donated furniture from Lane Home Furnishings and sleep well on their new Serta® mattress – all selected from HOM furniture. Thank you to all of our partners for your generosity!

Habitat for Humanity had an open house for the public following the dedication ceremony to share resources about green products in the home. We had an exhibit there to share information about products made with BiOH polyols. Here’s a look at our display: What are your thoughts about Habitat for Humanity building green?

Runners Have Fun with our Oil Barrel Sofa

Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on April 22, 2009

Do you think a sofa made out of oil barrels would be comfortable? The answer from visitors to the BiOH® Polyols exhibit at the 2009 Recycle Run was a resounding “No!” All proceeds from the Recycle Run benefit Minneapolis Earth Day Watershed Clean Up Efforts. While runners were thinking about Earth Day, we took the opportunity to educate them that traditional sofa cushions are made from petroleum-based chemicals but that foam products made with BiOH polyols reduce the use of petroleum and leave a smaller environmental footprint. Plus, we had a lot of fun in the process! Here are some pictures from the Recycle Run. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Circle Furniture gets Down:2:Earth

Posted by Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager on April 9, 2009

Circle Furniture partnered with the BiOH® polyols team to educate attendees of the second annual down:2:earth expo about sustainable furnishings options in Boston last weekend. Circle Furniture carries a variety of wood and upholstery products with sustainable features – including many beautiful upholstered styles from American Leather®, C.R. Laine® and LEE that use cushions made with BiOH polyols.

“At Circle Furniture, we look for manufacturers and suppliers that share our commitment to the environment,” said Peggy Burns, owner. “We wanted to participate in d2e to get in front of the consumer who wants to align their dollars with affecting environmental change.”

Leslie Carothers, who participated in the event, said that attendees asked detailed questions about how the products were made and were genuinely interested in understanding different choices available to them. Her thoughts on green consumers are captured in her latest blog post.

If you had attended, what questions would you have asked?

Should People With Soy Allergies Avoid Soy Foam Products?

Posted by Robin, BiOH Polyols Global Regulatory Affairs Manager on April 3, 2009

The short answer to this question is generally no. The allergenic substance to the vast majority of people in soybeans (and other allergens) is protein, while soy-based BiOH® polyols used in foam are made from refined soybean oil. If protein is present in refined soybean oil, it is at such low levels that it typically does not cause an allergic reaction.

But since a number of people have asked about this topic and I am a techie at heart – please read on.

You probably know someone with food allergies. Food allergies have received a lot of attention because 6 – 7 million Americans (2 – 2.5% of the population) suffer from them. The majority of food allergies are from eight products or groups of products: eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts and wheat. Symptoms range from mild to severe. Food allergies can be scary and dangerous – accounting for 30,000 emergency room visits a year and 150 – 200 deaths according to the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP).

Typically allergies are an exaggerated immune response of sensitive individuals to protein. Because refined soybean oil contains only very minute quantities of proteins, it is not considered allergenic. In fact, it has been shown not to be allergenic to individuals sensitive to soy protein. (R. K. Bush, et al., J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 76:242-245 [1985]). Soy allergies by inhalation have also been studied and shown to be caused by protein; interestingly, they are caused by different proteins.

BiOH polyols are produced starting with RBD (refined, bleached and deodorized) soybean oil. The RBD process includes a series of rigorous physical and chemical purification steps. Each step purifies the soybean oil and removes more protein from the oil. And then, BiOH polyols are processed under conditions that would typically destroy protein. By the time the soy-based BiOH polyols are reacted into foam for your sofa or mattress, there should be little to no soy protein left or accessible for an allergenic reaction.

So that’s the technical explanation. Any questions?