Sustainability lies at the core of ACRYLITE® products

Our Contributions

Our products are manufactured using processes that prioritize resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact. By carefully managing energy consumption, reducing waste generation, and implementing recycling programs, ACRYLITE® ensures a sustainable production cycle from start to finish.

HOW ACRYLITE® SUPPORTS SUSTAINABLE ACTIONS

We are committed to minimizing our environmental impact through the following elements:

Product Stewardship and Health Safety

Semi-finished ACRYLITE® products inherently contain no plasticizers, heavy metal salts or halogens, and in particular no chlorine, in the production of our acrylic products. Roehm is one of the few manufacturers that uses only colorants that are free of heavy metals in its acrylic products and has done so since the 1980’s.

Our acrylic products are:


All our compliance documents in regard to health-related concerns can be found here.

Energy Conserving Materials

Compared to uncoated glass, acrylic is a better heat insulator due to its lower coefficient of thermal conductivity. Acrylic sheet reduces temperature transfer, aids in temperature regulation, and lowers heating costs.

ACRYLITE® Resist Multi-Skin acrylic provides up to 40% energy savings and minimizes CO2 emissions.

ACRYLITE® sheet products offer impressive energy-saving benefits. With their exceptional transparency, they allow abundant natural light to permeate, reducing the need for artificial lighting and lowering energy consumption. This attribute not only contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions but also helps optimize energy efficiency in various applications, such as roofing, facades, greenhouses, architectural designs, daylighting, and more.

Proof is in the Product

ACRYLITE® Heatstop acrylic sheet is an IR-reflecting sheet that reflects a large portion of incident solar radiation to limit the amount of heat entering a building while allowing an abundance of natural sunlight. This characteristic helps reduce energy consumption and creates a pleasant and cool environment below the glazing. ACRYLITE® plays a critical role in saving energy in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Thanks to multi-skin sheets made from ACRYLITE®, well-insulated greenhouses require less heating in winter and less cooling in summer.

Long Lasting Durability

ACRYLITE® helps reduce waste with its high durability.

When it comes to transparent plastics, differentiating between them during the purchasing process can be challenging. However, their chemical composition varies significantly, leading to distinct differences in their properties.

These disparities become particularly evident in outdoor applications. Over a short period of time, exposure to sunlight, wind, and weather can cause drastic changes in many plastics. They lose their ability to withstand environmental impacts, turning yellow, becoming brittle, and ultimately breaking.

The aging process of plastics is influenced by their molecular structure, which varies across different types. Factors such as chain length and atomic composition determine the appearance, quality, and mechanical properties of the materials. The composition also determines the stability of molecular bonds. When exposed to UV light and other weather conditions, the molecular chains can be damaged, resulting in alterations to the material's properties. Similar to how metals rust, these effects can manifest as yellowing, brittleness, or haze.

ACRYLITE® sheet stands out from the rest due to its remarkable durability. Our acrylic sheets possess exceptional strength and resilience, enabling them to withstand harsh weather conditions and resist deterioration over time.

By choosing ACRYLITE®, users can avoid frequent replacements, thereby reducing the overall demand for resources and alleviating the associated environmental burden!

Recycling Process

By promoting and facilitating recycling, we aim to ensure that ACRYLITE® has a sustainable end-of-life journey.

ACRYLITE® acrylic can be recycled. At the end of their lifespan, the sheets can be collected and processed into new products or used as raw materials for other industries. The recycling process for ACRYLITE® requires significantly less energy compared to the production of virgin materials, resulting in reduced carbon emissions and the conservation of valuable resources.

  • Some grades can be re-extruded many times without losing their properties.
  • Our acrylics can be “reverse- polymerized” to yield the original base chemical, MMA, which can then be used to make acrylic again or a number of other commercial products.
  • We use up to 75 % post-industrial recycled content in most of our extruded acrylic products.
  • Many of our packaging materials can be reused and recycled.
  • Certifiable letter is available upon request.


Post-industrial recycling

We have taken proactive steps to ensure the recycling of all ACRYLITE® product cut-offs. We have implemented a recycling loop where waste generated during the production of ACRYLITE® sheet can be reintroduced into the recycling process. This means that materials don't go to waste, as we strive to minimize our environmental impact. ACRYLITE® proTerra is an excellent example of 51% of post-industrial recycled content used to produce the core of the sheet.

Post-consuming recycling

When it comes to post-consumer recycling, even end consumers can easily dispose of ACRYLITE®. It is not considered hazardous or special waste, so it can be disposed of through local recylcing centers. ACRYLITE® can be burned for energy generation, a process known as "trash to energy". During this process, only water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced, as long as no additional fuel is used, and the incineration conditions are appropriate. This means that no harmful air pollutants or toxic fumes are released.

Not only do we recycle our own production waste, but we also encourage our customers to participate in the recycling loop. Any ACRYLITE® cut-offs generated by customers during processing can be easily reintegrated into the recycling process. Several of our direct partners are able to recover and recycle many of the products they distribute in collaboration with specialized disposal companies.

Manufacturing

Roehm produces its acrylic monomer, polymer, and sheet in integrated manufacturing facilities in several locations across North America, helping
to reduce the energy and CO² impact involved in the transportation of its raw materials and finished products.

  • Roehm production plants are ISO certified to meet strict standards of environmental responsibility.
  • Roehm America Business Line Acrylic Products (Roehm America LLC, Sanford, ME) pledges to implement and operate a business management system associated with the manufacturing of ACRYLITE® acrylic products. Policies for Responsible Care & Quality Management

Sustainability at Roehm, the manufacturers of ACRYLITE®
Read more about Roehm's sustainability program and our path to climate neutrality 2050.