Federal Program Confirms Importance of ACMA’s Sustainability Initiative
The Biden Administration announced Sept. 15 new actions under its Federal Buy Clean Initiative to spur the development of low-carbon construction materials made in America while supporting good-paying jobs. These federal programs highlight the value of ACMA’s Climate Impacts Project (CIP), which is helping composites manufacturers prepare the Environmental Product Declarations that will be needed to sell products to the federal government or to state DOTs, electric utilities, municipal water utilities, or others using federal money for infrastructure projects. The CIP also supports companies selling products into non-infrastructure markets like autos, appliances, and commercial aircraft.
Resin and Fiber Suppliers must Support Updated LCI, Empowering their Customers to Address End-market Needs
ACMA’s 2012 Life Cycle Inventory allows ACMA members making products with unsaturated polyester resin and glass fiber reinforcement to estimate the cradle-to-gate energy use and emission of climate warming gasses associated with production of their products. A contractor is now working to update the LCI to include epoxy and polyurethane resin and carbon fiber. This update, which will allow many more composites manufacturers to prepare EPD for their products, needs the participation of the suppliers of these materials. Resin and reinforcement suppliers should contact John Schweitzer for more information.
Sustainability Forum at CAMX Will Include Updates on LCI, PCR and EPD
ACMA’s Sustainability Forum II will be held on Monday, Oct. 17, 2:15-4:00PM during the CAMX trade show at the Anaheim Convention Center. At meetings of the Sustainability Forum, ACMA member companies collaborate on programs to reduce climate impacts, recycle composite products, and communicate the sustainability benefits of composites. Please register for Sustainability Forum II here.
Energy Department Program may Help Decarbonize Composites Production
A recently announced Department of Energy program aims for an 85% reduction in the emission of climate warming gasses associated with industrial heating operations by 2035. Most of the climate impact from producing composite products comes from the combustion of fuels to heat process equipment such as presses and dies, the manufacture of glass and carbon fiber, and the transformation of crude oil, natural gas and coal into resins. The DOE program includes $70 million to establish a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute that will focus on electrification of processes and reduction of emissions across the industrial sector.