Toronto, Ontario, Canada
December 2, 2008
Today, the
Ontario Soybean Growers,
alongside industry representatives, pioneering researchers and
senior government officials, will showcase the ground-breaking
commercialization of the 101+ uses of soybeans in Ontario's
emerging bio-economy. Soy has sprouted up in recent years as a
key replacement for petroleum oil in household, commercial and
industrial products.
"Often dubbed the 'wonder crop' for its many uses, the soybean
has virtually endless food and commercial applications, and the
Ontario Soybean Growers are committed to demonstrating all of
them," said Dale Petrie, General Manager of the Ontario Soybean
Growers.
Home furnishings like mattresses and sofas, plastics, auto parts
and adhesives are all made with petrochemicals. Soy is proven to
be a sustainable substitute to petroleum in a wide range of
these everyday consumer and industrial products. The use of soy
enables a greener manufacturing process, eliminating the use of
petroleum oil, allowing for environmentally-friendly,
biodegradable products.
A strong force in residential construction, soy is being used to
make home insulation and sealants around windows. In home décor,
soy goes to work making environmentally-friendlier stain
removers, carpet and upholstery shampoo, even replacing
petroleum in foam cushioning of sofas and chairs.
Petroleum-based interior paints, paint strippers and even
traditional paraffin candles used to decorate a room all emit
harmful VOC's (volatile organic compounds) into the room's
atmosphere; using soy as the base for these products
significantly lowers the VOC content.
"Our product now contains bio plush foam made from natural
soybeans. For every 1 million pounds of BIOH(TM) polyols that
replace petroleum polyols in flexible foams, 2,200 barrels of
crude oil are saved," said Cindy Sisto of Brentwood Classics.
"The environmental benefit doesn't stop with our furniture, the
process to manufacture BIOH(TM) polyols results in 36% less
global warming emissions and requires 61% less non-renewable
energy then petrol based polyols," said Sisto.
This bean also goes a long way in reducing the environmental
impact of automobile use. In the gas tank, soy goes to work as a
clean-burning, renewable, energy-efficient bio-diesel. In fact,
car manufacturers like Ford
are already seeing the benefits of using soy. Foam cushioning in
the 2008 Ford Escape is already being made with soy oil, and
Ford has just announced that the Mustang will follow suit.
"In 2001, Ford began its soy polyol project where we dedicated
ourselves to replacing 40 per cent of the standard
petroleum-based polyol used in seat cushions, seat backs,
armrests and head restraints with a soy-derived
material," said Dr. Cynthia Flanagan, plastics engineer for Ford
Motor Company. "In 2007 we launched the program in our 2008 Ford
Escape, and soon over a million vehicles will be products of
this project."
Thanks to the development of a specialized crushing process, soy
beans can be separated into two distinct and equally useful
parts. When crushed, 80 per cent of the bean becomes protein soy
meal, which goes for human and animal consumption, while the
remaining 20 per cent becomes soy oil, which can replace
petroleum oil in commercial and industrial applications. One
hundred per cent of the bean is used every time. "This is a
made-in-Ontario solution. From the farm right through the value
chain, soy supports Ontario's emerging bio-economy," said
Petrie.
Ontario Soybean Growers represents more than 25,000 soybean
farmers in Ontario. From the farm to industry commercialization,
Ontario Soybean Growers works to develop and promote a business
environment that ensures soybean producers the opportunity for
viable and profitable returns. |
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