The science guiding our industry sector—like any evolving platform at the intersection of innovation and practical product application—is constantly evolving. New technology is systematically being developed. More relevant protocols are regularly being implemented and adapted. And, an increasingly fast paced marketplace is creating new expectations for businesses and customers alike.
At the center of this evolution is the growing importance of environmental conservatism for companies working across industry lines, but especially for those operating within the chemical products space. Carlisle Polyurethane Systems is one such business. As our planet changes, so do the demands on organizations like ours that conduct business within a sector that has the opportunity to create a real and measurable impact on the future of our shared global community for years to come. These demands require us—as practitioners and leaders—to view the issues through an unobstructed lens. The decisions industrial corporations make can and do have an indelible effect that will directly decide what kind of planet our children inherit. Responsible sustainable practices have never been more essential—and chemical brands are front line players.
Carlisle Polyurethane Systems, like many of our industry counterparts, is continually rewriting the playbook when it comes to the fundamental charge of green production and environmental compliance. Chemical brands of the 19th and early 20th centuries, which operated in the wake of the industrial revolution, were the anti-thesis of today’s eco-focused leadership. More than 150 years ago, when chemical product production became commercialized, profit was king and manufacturing practices took center stage over environmental protection. Today, the complete opposite is true, as conscientious manufacturers strive to observe a 360-degree environmental compass, looking to nurture “people” and “planet” along with bottom line profits.
For our Coatings, Elastomers, Adhesives and Sealants (CASE) products, these platitudes are the foundation for operating practices implemented across every aspect of our brand. We work daily with our employees, strategic partners, and customers to establish new gold standard practices that define expectations for sustainable stewardship in the 21st century.
This effort involves execution that is coupled with sound materials procurement and handling protocols at every level of our supply chain. Being an eco-minded brand affects the way that we manufacture (from identifying raw materials to the operations of our factories), as well as the way our customer relationships and expectations are managed. And the care we take in replenishing precious resources must always be an integral part of the entire product development cycle.
Our CASE products division, built out under the former Accella Polyurethane Systems brand (which was purchased by Carlisle in 2017), was developed through a series of strategic acquisitions and the integration of more than 20 best-in-class specialty polymer technology and recycled rubber brands. Today, we are a polyurethane systems house that embraces a spectrum of offerings in the polyurethane and protective coatings space. It is our mission to deliver customizable client solutions with speed and scale across disciplines—while all at the same time, consciously working to support carbon footprint reduction. It is imperative that we maintain the balance between effectively servicing and exceeding our customer supply and demand, while also maintaining a conservation ethos.
So, what does exactly it mean to be a contemporary “green brand” in today’s chemicals production arena? These aren’t just catchwords or trendy branding slogans—they are a set of values that inspire and direct innovation across all product lines of Carlisle Polyurethane Systems. Our company has been long committed to producing alternative, eco-friendly polyurethane-based products used in the automotive industry, in home building and design, and across myriad industrial applications from storage tank lining, to protective coatings, to waterproofing. Carlisle utilizes state-of-the art formulations that include sustainable raw materials to help make more eco-friendly products.
Here are key project areas where this approach has been put into action:
Recyclable Materials & Use of Renewable Resources
Carlisle Polyurethane Systems is committed to utilizing recycled materials across our production chain whenever possible, as well as recycling post-production. A portion of the oils used in development of our polyurethane foam material is made from the byproducts of previous material production. Our Polyurethane division additionally recycles our polymer and polyurethane product totes and drums to effectively lower carbon footprint.
Our Resinate® product line has utilized recycled/renewable materials for high performance applications in coatings, adhesives and foams. Resinate® EP1000-5.6 is a polyester polyol based on rPET and other recycled components resulting in 66% recycled content (this product has utility in coatings and urethane applications). Similarly, our Resinate® C2051-50 is a modified polyol for the coatings marketplace and it contains 50% renewable content and is a USDA Certified Biobased Product. In addition to the majority of our Polyols being based on recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), in certain cases, these products are further augmented with other recycled or renewable raw materials for enhanced “green content.”
Carlisle’s filter end cap formuals and our signature Bullet Liner™ protective spray coating (used to protect truck beds and automotive and equipment surfaces, as well as boats, cargo vans, utility vehicles, storage tanks and more) both use renewable materials and sources across the production line.
Carlisle has also improved its adhesive binder technology. Our new products deliver better physical properties, requiring less pounds per carpet or rubber pad. Additionally, our Recreational Surfacing products use water-based technology to reduce solvent VOC emissions.
Lighter-weight Materials
By using lighter-weight materials along our supply chain, we require, utilize and transport less bulk product. For example: Our drums, pallets, banding and stretch-wrap all use a lower material volume. We utilize totes and tankers versus heavier weight drums. These items, in volume, are considerably lighter to transport over the road, requiring less fuel consumption. In turn, Carlisle’s product modifications take weight and cost out of our customers’ applications—notably in the area of elastomer materials production in particular:
Eco-Lighting
Carlisle Polyurethane Systems’ production is managed through a series of factory-plant locations. In plants such as our Chattanooga, TN, we have instituted plant lighting upgrades. Our new LED, low consumption lighting technology lowers harmful emissions and conserves energy with automated on/off motion detection capabilities.
Transportation Efficiencies
As a large corporation with bulk production, the way that we receive our incoming raw materials and also distribute our outgoing completed products for market delivery positively impacts our sustainable contribution. Carlisle Polyurethane Systems is pleased to receive a portion of our resource materials via railcar transport, which reduces our brand’s overall carbon footprint. In terms of our truck transportation capabilities, our new fleet of forklifts is outfitted with better propane utilization and greater battery efficiency.
In the production of CASE products, we pride ourselves on being a modern chemicals brand – adhering to a business approach characterized by innovation, embedded in science and R&D disciplines, and deeply committed to principles of social responsibility. It is this ethos that gives us a uniquely fresh position within a decades old industry segment. We are constantly looking for new ways to move the needle toward a more green and sustainable future that can be a guide for how to carefully produce the materials that our world community—both business and consumers—need to function on a daily basis, while safeguarding the eco-system that is vital to our collective survival.
We invite you to become our valued partner in these efforts. Please contact us to learn more at www.CarlislePS.com.