First sustainability conference confirms SMC/BMC industry’s commitment to green economy

Invited as a Keynote Speaker at the conference, Mr. Kurt Vandenberghe, Head of Cabinet of Janez Potočnik, EU Commissioner for the Environment, addressed the business case for the EU resource efficiency action plan. In his speech, he welcomed the industry’s efforts towards sustainability while pointing out the need for structural transformations towards decoupling and better EU law implementation. The use of incentives and economic instruments for the industry as well as cooperation between the private & public sector is paramount to reach these objectives.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study - SMC/BMC products are recyclable and sustainable

During the conference, the European Alliance for SMC/BMC released the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study for SMC/BMC. The LCA study has been reviewed according to ISO 14040/14044 standards by an independent panel review. This tool allows a quantitative assessment of SMC/BMC with other materials and generates further options to optimize materials and products in terms of sustainability. The conclusions of the LCA study confirm SMC/BMC recycling through the cement kiln route and SMC/BMC as sustainable materials.

SMC/BMC a material for today with sustainable potential for tomorrow

Commenting on the outcome of the conference, Mr. Fons Harbers, Chairman of the Marketing Group of the European Alliance for SMC/BMC noted that “during these two days, the SMC/BMC industry showed that our products provide sustainable alternatives to other materials while maintaining high performance and flexibility of design. SMC/BMC is a material of today with an incredible potential for tomorrow”.

The sustainability conference follows the earlier release last year of the Sustainability of SMC/BMC based products Report by the European Alliance for SMC/BMC.

Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) and Bulk Molding Compound (BMC) are intermediate materials from which a large variety of products can be manufactured by specific processing techniques such as compression molding and injection moulding. Applications based on SMC/BMC products include automotive & transportation, electrical & electronics, building & construction, sanitary and domestic appliances.

About the European Alliance for SMC/BMC

The European Alliance for SMC/BMC is an industrial association of leading European companies and scientific institutions involved in the product chain of SMC and BMC .Those are fiber-reinforced thermosetting compounds, which, in general, are composed of resin and reinforcing fiberglass. Other additives enhance performance, cure and processing. The Alliance is a member of the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA) which represents the interests of composites industry at EU level.

More  information : www.smc-alliance.com