ENVIRONMENT

Dow Plastics Patents Ozone-Friendly Technology: New foam plastic containers at some coffee shops, meat counters and hamburger stands are made with technology that causes no damage to the ozone layer, the subsidiary of Midland, Mich.-based Dow Chemical Co. said. A patent for the process, which uses only carbon dioxide to make polystyrene packaging, was issued Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. A patent for a Dow Plastics foam product using the technology was approved last month. The company has licensed six foam plastics makers to use the technology.