BETHESDA, MD – The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) recently proposed modifications be made to the ASTM 1193 Standard Guide for Use of Joint Sealants to incorporate terminology that will help position sustainability for industry stakeholders. The recommendations were made during ASTM’s C-24 meeting held in January 2012 and will be an agenda item moving forward in 2012. 

The recommendations came out of the ASC Sustainability Summit held in July 2011. The following terms were identified as important to the sustainability effort for sealant stakeholders: recyclability, compostable, embodied energy and renewable content. 

“The next step is for the ASTM C-24 to debate the terms and work towards modifying the ASTM 1193 Standard Guide for Use of Joint Sealants,” noted Steve Duren, Director of Member Services at ASC. “At the end of the day, with strong industry input and discussion, the result will be definitions and/or recognition of how sealants are sustainable and will help guide decision making for designers and applicators on the topic of sustainability. Sustainability continues to be a term that many from our industry use. As such, efforts from this important work in C24 will provide a more transparent connection between sustainability and adhesives and sealants products.” 

The council’s efforts with ASTM C-24 build on efforts with ASTM D-14 that are already in process to define specific sustainability terminology.