Working hard on your behalf
Now that we’re past the half way mark of the year, this seems like the ideal opportunity to look back and reflect over what ASC has achieved in recent months, while also casting an eye on what we’ve got planned... Of course, regulatory issues, tariffs, and the economy continue to
dominate our thoughts and ASC is actively engaging with elected officials on Capitol Hill to share and explain the impact these are having on our membership. Sustainability also remains a key area of focus and we are working hard to ensure we provide some excellent resources and tools to help support you and your operations.
Over the coming pages you will hear about all this and more, including previews of our fourth annual Sustainability Summit in September as well as October’s Executive Leadership Conference.
ASC continues to represent the adhesive and sealant value chain and engage with elected officials
April’s Annual Convention & EXPO has been one of many highlights in 2025 so far
A fantastic start to the year... but there’s more to come!
Now that summer is here, this is a good time to reflect on a busy but successful start to the year for ASC. The past few months have flown by, and the team has been working hard to ensure we continue offering our members the resources and support they need.
Highlights so far this year include the Adhesion
Society’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans in February, which drew a fantastic turnout with academia joined by representatives from government and industry to hear about the latest studies and research in all areas of adhesion science and technology.
Of course, there was also the ASC Convention and
EXPO in Jacksonville, Florida – which is always a must attend event and boasted its biggest attendance in years with around 800 people from across the globe reuniting to talk tariffs, trade, and supply chains. There were also two short courses, one on Hot Melt Adhesives and another on Waterborne
Adhesives, and the winner of this year’s Innovation Award was revealed as well. Well done again to 3M!
Meanwhile, Brian Peters, ASC’s Director, Membership & Industry Programs, has been busy travelling the length and breadth of the country these past few months visiting end users to gain insight about their needs and pain points. These important visits ensure the association
continues to hit the mark and is always offering the necessary help and support. Meanwhile, multiple podcasts have been posted online since the start of the year, covering topics such as brand positioning, green technologies, tariffs, supply chain disruption, as well as special programs introducing key members of the ASC team. New episodes are released every month,
so be sure to keep checking back on our dedicated podcast page to hear the latest news, views, and analysis!
And, of course, the first of the year’s two issues of Adhesive and Sealant Showcase magazine was also published back in April with an article from Tom Stewart, ASC’s new Board of Directors Chair, commentary on what’s happening on Capitol Hill, and a look at the tariffs on the markets.
Join us at our unmissable twoday Sustainability Summit
The countdown has now begun to the ASC Adhesive and Sealant Sustainability Summit 2025, taking place from September 22-24 in Cleveland, OH.
This year’s event, titled Resilient Future: Smart Sustainability in Times of Change, offers two information-packed days of networking and knowledge sharing to
help ASC members navigate the everchanging marketplace. As always, the Summit aims to advance discussion about sustainability and its growing importance and impact on your businesses and our communities.
Join us as we shine the spotlight on the trends, drivers, challenges, and
opportunities that are shaping the future of our industry.
We’ll also be looking at the latest technologies and innovations and taking a deep dive into topics including compliance, packaging, and recycling. The full list of presentations is shown on the page opposite. Click here to register.
ASC Adhesive & Sealant Sustainability Summit 2025 – Highlights
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
Keynote: Building and Leveraging Safe and Sustainable Chemistry: Ensuring Business Resilience
Rui Resendes, Director of Partnerships and Business Development, Change Chemistry
Industry Panel
Mark Schwerdtfeger, Director Sustainability North America, Avery Dennison Lukas Jongkind, Sustainability Director, Synthomer Jenny Allison, Adhesives and Sealants Marketing, Covestro LLC
Secret Sauce in the Age of Transparency: The What, Why, When of Product Ingredient Disclosures
Mike Johnson, Senior Director, Materials, International Living Future Institute
Mass Balanced Polymers for Sustainable Sealants and Adhesives
Johanne Wilson, Business Development Manager ChemCycling®, BASF
Establishing Clear Standards for Reporting Product Carbon Footprint
Lukas Jongkind, Sustainability Director - Adhesive Solutions, Synthomer
Building Transparency: Advancing an Industry-Wide EPD for Sealants
Monica Morano, Product Sustainability Specialist, Sika Corporation
Navigating Uncertainty: A Strategic Framework for Business Decisions in a Rapidly Changing Landscape
Christopher White, Senior Managing Scientist, Ramboll
Facilitated Breakout Groups: Product Carbon Footprint; Lessons Learned; Framework for Developing Sustainability Strategies as a Business Case; Produce Ingredient Disclosures and Transparency
The Critical Roles of Performance Minerals in Driving Sustainability in Adhesives & Sealants
Jerry Lai, S&T Director, Sustainable Construction, Imerys
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025
Building in Shelf Appealing Packages that Checks All the Boxes
Salvatore Pellingra, Vice President, ProAmpac
Addressing Sustainability and Design in Processing Systems
Giancarlo Caimmi, Commercial Director, Nordmeccanica Spa
Evolving Innovation Into Real Products - RFID Labels Designed for PET Recycling
Matt Wilkinson, Senior Sustainability Manager, Avery Dennison
Do Adhesives Help or Hinder Compliance with EPR Laws? Perspectives On the Role of Adhesives In RecycleReady Packaging For Consumer Goods
Ashley Kresen, Global Marketing Manager, Barrier Coatings, H.B. Fuller
Engineering Copolymer Blends Targeting Degradable Pressure Sensitive Adhesives
Alex Nyarko, Research Associate, Avery Dennison
Keynote: The Future Packaging Landscape - What Should We Strive Towards and How Can Our Industry Help to Achieve It?
Charles Paul, Principal, GlueIQ
The latest report provides an overview of the driving forces shaping the adhesive and sealant market
Bringing the industry’s senior leaders back together again
Is your business capitalizing on the enormous potential of artificial intelligence? Are you adapting effectively to the prevailing supply chain issues, geopolitical instability, and digitalization? Do you have what it takes to be a strong leader and commit t l l d fi d l
among the key talking points during the upcoming ASC Executive Leadership Conference scheduled for later this fall in St Pete Beach, FL. From October 20-22, 2025, senior leaders and executives from across the adhesive and sealant industry will come t th t h f t
their knowledge and expertise about key markets that are facing continued disruption. Conference attendees will hear discussions on resilience, innovation, and reinvention – and gain insight into how we can continue driving our industry forward.
Th b f
The Executive Leadership Conference is taking place from October 20-22, 2025
Stephan Liozu, Ph.D., Founder of Value Disruption Advisors –and our latest podcast interviewee, will also focus on the importance of agility and adaptability, offering guidance on how best to
navigate challenges so you can come out the other side even stronger. Among the other highlights, Alain Harfouche, Senior Managing Director of Guggenheim Securities, LLC. will provide a comprehensive M&A update, while Lisa Yu, Founder and President of American Gold Standard is exploring the impact and potential of artificial intelligence. The meeting will also see three new, and very
Meet the ASC 2025 Executive Leadership Conference speakers... including presentations featuring Dr. Jayshree Seth, Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate at 3M, who will be sharing her perspective on innovation, leadership, culture, and careers.
deserving, icons of the industry inducted into ASC’s hallowed Hall of Fame – and, of course, attendees will be able to enjoy many networking opportunities at the various social events and receptions, including a beach drive wine and dine tour, cornhole tournament, and golf. To find out more about the event and to view an overview of the agenda, visit the dedicated Executive Leadership page on the ASC website.
The latest report provides an overview of the driving forces shaping the adhesive and sealant market
Megan Gluth, Owner and CEO, Catalynt Solutions, Inc
Stephan Liozu, PH.D., Founder, Disruption Advisors
Alain Harfouche, Senior Managing Director, Guggenheim Securities
Jayshree Seth, Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate, 3M
Kevin Swift, Managing Director, Swift Economic LLC.
Lisa Yu, Founder and President, American Gold Standard
Update: ASC is investing in new PCR and EPD initiatives
ASC’s Sustainability Committee is currently working on updating the Product Category Rule, or PCR, that was last published with Underwriters Laboratories in 2016 and expired in 2021. The new PCR will be created by a company called Smart EPD and offer numerous benefits, primarily related to standardization, transparency,
and comparability in the context of product sustainability assessments. It will also help to streamline the life cycle assessment process. The update is expected to take six to nine months to complete.
In addition, another big investment will see the development of industry average Environmental Product Declarations –or EPDs – for multiple
product chemistries used in building and construction. EPDs look at the environmental impact of a product or material throughout its life cycle. This will again be produced using an outside consultant and is expected to take approximately 16-18 months. Once complete, the EPDs will be made available to all ASC members.
An economic and housing update is among the upcoming webinars exclusively available to
Don’t miss these live webinars
ASC members benefit from an extensive range of invaluable resources and tools that are accessible via the website at www.ascouncil.org/. Remember to bookmark the link and to keep checking back to find out about all the latest educational opportunities – including a range of online and in-person training events.
In the coming weeks, for example, we will be
hosting several webinars that will offer some excellent insight and analysis.
On August 21, the National Association of Home Builders’ Chief Economist, Robert Dietz, Ph.D., will be providing an Economic and Housing Update, shining the spotlight on the supply chain, tariffs, and inflation. Dietz will explore the supply-side of the housing market and talk through the likely
issues facing the residential building sector for the rest of the decade.
And don’t forget to also tune in on September 19 as Enrico Parente Sartoretto, North America Sales Manager - Specialty Chemicals at BRASKEM, focuses on Polyisobutene & Unilene. Bookmark the ASC Events page and get these dates in the diary.
ASC members
