The Dow Chemical Company has announced what it characterizes as a “significant milestone in its pursuit of sustainable chemistries.”

In a press release on the company web site, Dow says it is conducting consumer trials using the glycerin from the production of biodiesel. Dow gets Propylene Glycol Renewable… or PGR… from the biodiesel-based glycerin. The PGR is expected to be used in unsaturated polyester resins. Those UPRs are used in a wide variety products… from boat hulls to bathrooms:

“PGR provides environmental benefits and is cost competitive. It also offers the same outstanding characteristics in terms of quality and performance as our existing PG products,” says Mady Bricco, global product director, Propylene Oxide / Propylene Glycol. “This breakthrough technology underscores Dow’s commitment to deliver products and process technologies that bolster the Company’s sustainable chemistry aspirations. At the same time, PGR further strengthens our performance business portfolio, delivering an important building block material for a variety of industrial applications.”

Plus, PGRs are better for the environment because they’re made from renewable sources, and less water is used in their production.