These are extraordinary times. This crisis has shattered so many hearts around the world, and our thoughts and prayers are with those victims.
We have a responsibility to support the people and supply chains that are vital to containing COVID-19 and maintaining our collective well-being. We’re especially indebted to the heroes who are risking their lives to treat the sick.
As a manufacturer of the raw materials behind personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, IV bags, food ingredients and packaging, it's our duty to help meet the overwhelming demand for these and many other supplies.
Right now, there are well-publicized supply shortages in many of these areas. That's why – even as we double and triple-down on employee safety procedures – the vast majority of our operations are running full steam ahead. Note that Dow does not typically make finished consumer products. Rather, we supply raw materials and intermediate chemistries to formulators and brand owners who then manufacture and distribute their final products for consumer markets. The assets we run to manufacture these chemistries are already fully committed to customers and products that serve society’s most basic needs.
To this end, the chemical sector has been designated as critical infrastructure in many of the worlds’ largest economies, therefore our manufacturing sites are widely excluded from governmental shutdown orders. We continue to follow all guidelines issued by the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as we manage daily operations. Local laws and restrictions in specific countries around the world are also being followed.
These are some of the critical applications Dow materials help produce:
Medical equipment and infrastructure
- Device components
- Hospital beds
- Hospital construction
- Hospital interiors
- IV components and other drug delivery
- Medical parts and kits
Medical supplies and PPE
- Bandages
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable non-woven plastics
- Hand sanitizers
- Medical adhesives
- Medical labels
- Medical soaps
- Medical supply packaging
- Pharmaceuticals
- Surface sanitizers
- Surgical masks
- Vials, tubes, ampules
- Wipes and tissues
Personal and home hygiene and sanitation
- Detergent and bleach packaging
- Dish detergents
- Disinfectants
- Food supply and packaging
- Hand sanitizers
- Hard surface cleaners
- Laundry detergents
- Shampoos
- Soaps and body washes