The push for more sustainable solutions in industry continues as companies work to adapt to new environmental regulations and increasing demand from consumers for more earth-friendly products. One of the ways the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) has responded to this trend is the ASC Sustainability Summit, which had its inaugural event last September. The second-annual summit is scheduled for September 18-20 at the Omni Louisville Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, and will again provide the most up-to-date industry information on this key issue.

This year, the summit will feature two days of informative presentations and discussions, as well as networking opportunities where professionals in the industry can connect and share insights. Presentations will include case studies, stakeholder partnerships and perspectives, and overviews of existing challenges and opportunities surrounding sustainability within the industry. Business, marketing, and technical professionals who are responsible for managing or leading sustainability programs, as well as end-users, academics, and others who want to learn more about sustainability within the adhesive and sealant industry, are encouraged to attend.

Ken Alston, co-founder of Circularity Edge, will present the keynote address on Tuesday morning. The presentation, “Introduction to What Is Sustainability,” will provide an overview of business sustainability from 1990 to today. Erin L’Hotta, global marketing manager for H.B. Fuller Co., will present “Sustainability Unraveled: Circular Adhesive Formulation,” which will address the different approaches to sustainable adhesive design in support of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Circular Economy. George Pilcher, vice president, The ChemQuest Group, will discuss the current state of global PFAS regulation and how industry can respond to this changing landscape, and Maria Dunn of Phillips 66 will provide a case study, "EESG Case Study - Role of Sustainability at a Manufacturing and Logistics Company."

Afternoon sessions will include Nicole Meyer, LCACP, senior account manager, Sustainable Solutions Corp., and Shannon Belfield, EIT, project manager at Sustainable Solutions Corp., who will offer an overview of current and emerging sustainability drivers for adhesive and sealant products within the construction, transportation, and packaging industries in a presentation titled, “Navigating Market Drivers for Sustainability: A Deeper Dive into the ASC Value Chain.” Also speaking on Tuesday afternoon are Gloriamar Gámez, senior sustainability manager, Henkel Adhesive Technologies, and Becky Kristopeit, senior manager CO2/Footprint Reduction, Henkel Adhesive Technologies, whose presentation, “GHG Protocol Scope 3 Current Accounting Challenges within a Circular Economy: The Inclusion of Alternative Feedstocks and End of Life Accounting,” will discuss accounting challenges related to the GHG Protocol and offer a proposal of how to include circular carbon usage in GHG accounting. Additional speakers in the afternoon include John Brandt, technical manager, Adhesives and Sealants North America Coatings and Adhesives, Covestro LLC, who will present "Use of Mass Balance Raw Materials for the Production of Adhesives and Sealants," and David Keely, application technology leader, Dow Adhesives North America, who will discuss sustainability for pressure-sensitive label adhesives.

Among the speakers for the Wednesday sessions is Eric Dumain, global marketing director, Arkema Coating Resins, whose morning keynote address is titled, “Global Perspectives for Sustainability Across the Acrylic Value Chain for CASE Application.” Dumain will offer perspectives on how Arkema participates in the value chain for adhesives, sealants, coatings, and elastomers as a raw materials supplier. Jonathan Wilker, professor at Purdue University, will discuss how studying the way sea creatures stick is leading to adhesives derived from fully sustainable feedstocks. Wilker’s presentation is titled, “Academia Perspectives: Sustainable Adhesives from Bio-Based Feedstocks and Biomimetic Chemistry.”

Wednesday morning will also feature three raw materials sessions: “Pine Needle Movers – Quantifying CO2 to Meet Sustainability Goals,” by Laura James, marketing specialists at Kraton Corp.; “Bio-Based TPE and Liquid Rubber Grades,” by Erich Klein, market manager – Elastomers Division, at Kuraray; and “Advanced Mechanical Recycling/Compatibilization of Polymers/Fillers in Adhesives and Sealants Using 1.5-Nanometer Titanates and Zirconates,” by Salvatore Monte, president of Kenrich Petrochemicals, Inc.

The afternoon session will include a presentation by Catherine Vitale, business development manager, PCA, at MÜNZING, who will provide a snapshot of standards and materials suitable for sustainable adhesives in her presentation, “Materials Selection in Product Design.” A group discussion will follow Vitale’s address, followed by a conference wrap-up.

For registration and the full conference program, visit www.ascouncil.org/events/2023-sustainability-summit.