CPMA’s 2024 Sustainability and Innovation Forum: Driving Sustainable Solutions

The Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA) held its inaugural Sustainability and Innovation Forum on Sept. 18, 2024, hosted by member Penn Color at its Global Technology Center in Hatfield, PA. The association’s sustainability initiative aims to foster dialogue and collaboration with the value chain to advance sustainable solutions for the color industry.

The CPMA forum marked a key milestone in the color industry’s journey towards a sustainable future by bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders and perspectives, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation in achieving industry sustainability goals.

Participants included sustainability leaders and experts representing the full value chain from pigment suppliers to masterbatch manufacturers, to converters and global brands. The forum presentations and roundtable discussions delved into the ESG regulatory landscape, latest recycling and technology trends, and explored key challenges and opportunities crucial to the color industry’s sustainability efforts.

“Penn Color was pleased to host the CPMA sustainability and innovation forum. It is critical for Penn Color to work together with our pigment suppliers and our brand customers to achieve sustainability goals and drive innovation,” said Kevin Putman, CEO of Penn Color, who kicked off the full-day program of insightful discussions.

ESG Regulatory Trends & Sustainability Programs

Diana Silva, partner at Manko, Gold, Katcher, Fox, LLP, provided an overview of the ever-evolving regulatory environment and what companies need to know about current and emerging policies and guidelines related to ESG. In addition, EcoVadis representative Tirell Grahlman shared insights into what is new in the program’s ESG scoring and expanded toolbox designed to enhance sustainable supply chains.

Global Brands Sustainability Goals

The participation of global brands further enriched the roundtable discussions, offering valuable insights into achieving industry-wide sustainability goals. Jun Wang, director of global packaging innovation at Colgate-Palmolive, discussed packaging sustainability goals and shared a case study on Colgate’s recyclable tube. Christiaan Engels, R&D director at Axalta, shared his company’s perspective on delivering sustainability and performance in coatings, including key challenges and industry goals driving coatings technology and innovation.

Recycling Technologies

Christopher Layton, director of circular policy strategy at Eastman Chemical Company, discussed molecular recycling technology and innovative approaches to expanding circularity practices. He highlighted Eastman’s efforts to expand circularity for colored and opaque PET in consumer packaging through a more robust recycling system.

Representing a converter’s perspective, Thomas Busard, Plastipak’s chief polymers & recycling officer, discussed the practical challenges and opportunities in recycling, emphasizing the importance of collaboration across the value chain. In addition, Frank Lacey, president of Electric Advisors Consulting, provided an overview of sustainability trends in the energy sector.

2025 CPMA Sustainability Forum & Webinar Series

CPMA’s 2024 Sustainability and Innovation forum facilitated engaging roundtable discussions, providing attendees with strategic insights and a renewed commitment to working together to advance sustainable solutions within the color industry.

“These important discussions highlighted the collective effort required to achieve sustainability success across the color value chain and we look forward to continuing the dialogue and collaboration to drive sustainability forward,” said Tom Farrell, VP of sustainability at Penn Color and co-chair of the CPMA Sustainability and Innovation Committee.

“The participation of stakeholders from various sectors of the value chain ensured that diverse perspectives were represented, providing a better understanding of the challenges and solutions for the industry,” said Nikola Juhasz, global technical director of sustainability at Sun Chemical, and co-chair of the CPMA Sustainability and Innovation Committee.

Building on the event’s success, CPMA will hold additional stakeholder forums and a webinar series in 2025. These programs will offer expert insights on sustainability trends and best practices, providing a platform for roundtable discussions, collaboration, and education for the color industry. To learn more about CPMA member programs and opportunities to get engaged, contact cpma@cpma.com.

About CPMA

The Color Pigments Manufacturers Association is the only U.S.-based trade association proudly serving the color pigments sector since 1925. Representing the color pigments supply chain, CPMA serves as the industry voice on matters pertaining to the environment, health, safety, sustainability and trade issues. CPMA offers advocacy programs, regulatory compliance tools and expert value chain insights customized for the industry and its diverse markets in North America.