The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the

American Chemistry Council (ACC) serves as the voice

for the polyurethane industry by identifying and managing

issues that could impact the industry, in cooperation

mission

with user groups.
Our membership currently includes more than 85 of the nation’s leading

producers and distributors of chemicals and equipment used to make

polyurethane and manufacture polyurethane products. CPI provides a single,

strong and credible voice to advocate on behalf of the interests of the U.S.

polyurethanes industry.

Who We Are

who we are
issue

management

groups

Issue Management Groups

CPI’s Steering Committee provides broad vision and leadership for CPI as an

oversight group. Its membership is drawn from member companies that pay

dues based on annual U.S. polyurethane sales. The CPI Steering Committee

establishes CPI’s policies, dues assessment, structure, priorities, programs

and budgets based on current industry issues.

CPI’s Management Committee identifies and tracks issues important to the

polyurethane industry. It strategically coordinates and oversees the activities

of CPI’s Issue Management Groups (described below) as they administer the

programs established by the CPI Steering Committee.

CPI’s Issue Management Groups identify emerging issues and respond

with practical and efficient programs that address these issues.

CPI’s market-focused Issue Management Groups promote the use of

polyurethane by working closely with key downstream industry organizations

to better understand and communicate the features and benefits of

polyurethane. CPI's market-focused Issue Management Groups are:

• CPI’s Flexible Foam Issue Management Group works to expand markets

for flexible polyurethane foam by addressing issues and educating

audiences on the benefits of, and innovations related to, flexible

polyurethane foam used in various applications. Topics include legislation

and regulations, emanations, flame retardants, fire performance, building

codes and technical standards, foam plant safety, scientific research,

outreach and education, and historical and recent market trends.

• CPI’s Rigid Foam Issue Management Group represents chemical

manufacturers and suppliers of rigid polyurethane and polyisocyanurate

foams. CPI members work on projects with key customer organizations to

address issues relating to legislation and regulations, building codes and

technical standards, outreach and education, fire performance, energy

efficiency, sustainability, environmental responsibilities, blowing agents,

flame retardants, scientific research, and historical and recent market trends.

• CPI’s Thermoplastic Polyurethane Issue Management Group promotes the

benefits of thermoplastic polyurethane, and serves as an industry forum in

which to address thermoplastic polyurethane industry issues and concerns.

CPI members address legislative and regulatory issues, scientific research,

outreach and education, and historical and recent market trends.
“CPI membership provides Momentive Performance Materials, Silicones

numerous benefits. For example, CPI provides a forum to learn best

practices on common issues such as safety and the environment. CPI also

is a champion for our industry by promoting our products and pooling

common issues for resolution. Finally, by networking with other industry

professionals we are afforded the opportunity to grow individually and

as a company. In summary, we feel that our CPI membership is a

worthwhile investment.”

Tony Lanchak, Global Marketing Director, Urethane Additives

Momentive Performance Materials

CPI’s technical-focused Issue Management Groups help support the

responsible production, management, and transportation of polyurethane

chemicals, polyurethane and polyurethane products.

• CPI’s Product Stewardship Issue Management Group fosters and facilitates

industry-wide compliance with local, state, federal and international

regulatory and legal requirements. The Group uses ideas and content

developed by CPI’s environmental, health and safety programs to help

support polyurethane raw material suppliers and converters as leaders

in product stewardship. CPI member companies, through participation

in ACC’s Responsible Care® program, are committed to continuing

efforts to improve the industry’s responsible management of chemicals.

• CPI’s Polyurethane Recycle and Recovery Council identifies and promotes

innovative and commercially viable technologies to help reduce the

amount of solid waste that results from polyurethane production and

discarded polyurethane products commonly found in durable goods

such as appliances, automobiles, bedding, carpet padding and

upholstered furniture.

• CPI’s Polyurethane Raw Materials Analysis Committee assumes a

leadership role within the polyurethane industry in proposing, evaluating

and updating methods for analyzing polyurethane raw materials. The

Committee also has stewarded standards into the International

Standardization Organization (ISO) format and actively maintains

methods in both ASTM International and ISO.

“Evonik continues to be very committed to the CPI because it is essential

to the long term prosperity of the polyurethanes industry. CPI provides a

unique forum for all members of the industry to address the various issues

which impact our business. Much of the progress made in areas such as

product stewardship, health and safety, and regulatory could have only

been accomplished less efficiently, or perhaps not at all, if not for the CPI

and its dedicated members and staff. But beyond these primary goals of

the CPI, there are other valuable benefits for your company as a member of

CPI. The various activities of the CPI provide a tremendous networking and

developmental opportunity for your people. Contributing by sharing expertise and experience with one’s peers on issues which affect an entire industry provides a unique sense of personal growth and recognition.”

Steven Snead-Smith, Product Line Director – NAFTA, Polyurethane Additives

Evonik Goldschmidt Chemical

CPI has core groups that support the work of CPI’s Issue

Management Groups.

• CPI’s Communications Group uses the CPI website, newsletters, news

releases, literature, email campaigns, articles and other means of

communication to inform member companies and the polyurethane

industry of CPI activities. Communications professionals from CPI member

companies work closely with CPI Issue Management Groups to

help develop communication strategies and programs. The CPI

Communications Group works to inform manufacturers of the latest

technological developments, participate at trade shows, provide

speakers for meetings and interviews, and keep media representatives

abreast of polyurethane industry developments.

• CPI’s End Use Market Survey Task Group creates competitive value for

the polyurethanes industry by providing relevant, timely, extensive and

accurate business statistics on the consumption of polyurethane materials

in NAFTA end use markets with a focus on the recent trends affecting the

polyurethane industry.

• CPI’s Conference Planning Committee and Conference Technical

Organizing Committee organizes CPI’s yearly technical conference for the

polyurethanes industry. This global event brings together key industry

players for 3 days to learn about the latest industry issues, scientific and

technological advances, research and more. Additionally, as an industry

service, and in conjunction with the yearly technical conference, the

Committee develops a 4-day Polyurethane Professional Development

Program, led by industry experts and volunteers, to teach about the

basics and not-so-basics of polyurethane chemistry.

"Being a part of CPI has been a greatly rewarding experience. As we grow

within the polyurethane industry we see CPI as the platform which helps

us to connect with customers, suppliers and a variety of stakeholders.

It enables us to share innovations, seek common ground and develop

consensus around issues the industry will face in the future"

Yusuf Wazirzada, Business Unit Leader

Cargill Biobased Polyurethanes.

Issue Management Groups

CPI Booth
issue

advocacy

“Bayer and its employees have been active in CPI since its inception.

We see great value in working through the CPI to address industry issues,

and to work together to educate and inform the public to grow their

acceptance of the chemical industry. We also see the CPI as a great

vehicle for networking with our industry peers to advance polyurethane

science by safely developing and bringing on line new promising

technologies, and to raise the corporate social responsibility standard

by collectively developing practical and efficient sustainable operations.

We see the CPI as a critical value-adding partner in such efforts.”

Jerry MacCleary, Senior Vice President

NAFTA Polyurethanes Marketing, Bayer MaterialScience LLC

Combustibility

CPI helps shape and influence the future of the polyurethanes industry by

taking a lead role in addressing issues associated with the combustibility

and combustion toxicity of polyurethane materials. CPI is actively engaged

with key customer organizations, regulators, and non-governmental

organizations to address issues relevant to the combustibility of

polyurethanes. Government regulations, building codes and technical

standards, research, education and outreach are all crucial in helping to

shape both the flexible and rigid polyurethane foam markets. CPI provides

technical assistance, monitors and advocates on issues regarding the use

of polyurethane in building and construction and furnishings, combustion

toxicity, blowing agents, flame retardants, labeling, and more. CPI also

actively sponsors national and local educational programs, professional

development courses, and updates technical bulletins and its website

regarding the proper use and handing of polyurethane foam around ignition

Issue Advocacy
sources. CPI conducts research on upholstered furniture and mattress

flammability, which plays a critical role in regulatory changes proposed at

the federal and state level. With the goal of improving the U.S. Consumer

Product Safety Commission’s proposed furniture flammability standard, CPI

comments in support of the development of a performance-based standard

that is robust and does not indiscriminately or arbitrarily exclude technologies

that can help products satisfy the standard, such as the use of flame

retardants, barrier materials, fabrics or other effective approaches. For

nearly a decade, CPI has worked toward the development of possible test

standards, which could reduce fire deaths and injuries and limit property

damage, by working with industry groups and coalitions, conducting

technical development work, promoting the use of fire and smoke

detectors and fire suppressant systems, and contributing substantially

to fire safety education.

Environment, Health and Safety

CPI plays a lead role in advocating science-based polyurethane chemical

legislation and defends against scientifically unfounded product attacks at

the international, federal, state and local level for the responsible production

and management of polyurethane chemicals. CPI’s hallmark product stewardship program helps members better manage their product development,

manufacture and distribution, marketing, use, and ultimate disposal of products in a safe, healthy and environmentally sound way. CPI addresses health

and safety concerns relating to the broad spectrum of polyurethane product

development including polyurethane raw materials, polyurethane production

processes and chemicals, and final polyurethane products in a variety of

ways including the distribution of literature (in multiple languages) for users of

polyurethane products, videos, website, regulatory compliance assistance

software, respiratory protection programs, industrial hygiene and worker

safety courses. CPI also works with ACC’s Diisocyanates Panel, State OSHA

Programs, National Fire Protection Association and other industry groups to

expand the avenues of information. The majority of CPI’s information is available free and also is distributed by the producers of MDI, TDI and Polyols.

“CPI is the town square of the global polyurethanes industry. At Dow, we

consider CPI an invaluable resource for networking, sharing opinions,

monitoring technological progress and collectively shaping the issues,

challenges and opportunities shared by the polyurethanes community."

Doug Warner, Business Director of Polyols

The Dow Chemical Company

Recycling and Recovery

CPI pursues innovative methods for reducing the amount of solid waste

produced by the polyurethanes industry and generated from discarded

polyurethane products commonly found in durable goods such as

appliances, automobiles, bedding, carpet padding, and upholstered

furniture. Because local, state and federal regulations play an important

role in the recycling of any material, CPI supports research and works with

other industry groups on new methods of recycling and waste disposal.

Traditionally, the polyurethanes industry has engineered and implemented

manufacturing technologies to minimize the production of process scrap.

While the industry continues its efforts in source reduction, CPI has

focused its efforts on the recycling and waste-to-energy combustion

steps within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hierarchy for

integrated waste management.

Building Codes and Standards

CPI takes an active role in monitoring and influencing building code

proposals and technical standards that may affect the business for

downstream users of polyurethane. CPI is dedicated to supporting the

highest quality of building codes and technical standards worldwide and

presents science-based results which support our overall goals of providing

safe, functional and energy-efficient products to the public. CPI members

interact with various building code groups including ASTM International,

ICC, ISO, NFPA, FM, UL and more. Building codes and technical standards

for building and construction make enormous contributions to most aspects

of our lives - from product quality, compatibility and reliability to efficiency

and safety. They also have important economic and social repercussions.

CPI actively works with and supports downstream user groups to develop

research studies in order to generate data necessary to support industry

code positions.

Energy and Climate Change

ACC’s advocacy on energy and climate policy is grounded in the principle

that sound energy policy – including measures to expand access to

domestic natural gas supplies (natural gas being the industry’s most

important raw material) – is a prerequisite to any serious consideration of

climate policy. Through a combination of direct lobbying, grassroots efforts,

coalition partnership and both paid and earned media, ACC is influencing

the debate in Congress. In late 2006, ACC’s advocacy resulted in enactment

of the first legislation in 25 years to change U.S. law to expand access to

domestic energy resources – and we continue to educate on the need for

more supply, as well as conservation and diversification. Working with ACC

Federal and State Relation’s, CPI advocates for broader energy efficiency

measures such as a 30% reduction goal over a state’s existing energy code,

supporting federal tax incentives, and developing industry communications

tools for the building and construction community. For example, CPI was

instrumental in helping to turn the 19 year minimum required prescriptive

R-value issued by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and

Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for roof and wall insulation. ASHRAE

announced an increase to the minimum required prescriptive R-value for

roof and wall insulation levels in its Standard 90.1, "Energy Standard for

Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings." As a result, the above-deck

roof insulation requirements rose by 33% in every climate zone in the United

States and similar increases were approved for walls. State energy

conservation building codes are a major driver in increasing the demand

for such products as insulating materials. These codes set minimum

standards for energy efficiency in residential and commercial construction

and also help establish a “level playing field” to market building products

statewide, regionally, and nationally. CPI also takes a leadership role in

Issue Advocacy
coordinating industry participation in advocacy to achieve reasonable

international and U.S. government policies regarding ozone protection,

climate change, and concepts for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions

from high-global warming potential stationary sources. CPI and its members

work with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,

federal and state agencies, and other state agencies and industry groups to

address these issues. Through CPI resources, members continue to

stay abreast on the most current and pressing issues that may impact

the polyurethane industry.

"Stepan is extremely proud of our involvement and participation in CPI.

The organization gives member companies and various stakeholders the

opportunity to tackle issues that are important to all of us; the environment,

world trade, safety, etc. Without the CPI, the polyurethane industry would

lack a collective voice, a voice that has generated countless benefits to the

safe, effective use of plastics not just in the United States but worldwide."

Robert Wood, Vice President, General Manager

Stepan Polymers

Chemical Regulation

Allegations about the health and environmental effects of exposures to

chemicals, even at very low doses, are driving policy and market-based

campaigns against chemicals and products. ACC efforts are paving the

way for a better understanding of health data as we also provide expertise

on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) – the fundamental regulatory

program for chemicals in the U.S., which is expected to come under

increasing scrutiny. ACC’s programs such as the Global Product Strategy,

Long-Range Research Initiative and evaluation programs for High Production

Volume (HPV) chemicals help to safeguard and provide information about our

products, as well as support our advocacy. Through the ACC, CPI and its

members play a lead role in advocating science-based chemical legislation

and defending against scientifically unfounded product attacks for

polyurethane products and their raw materials.

Transportation

Everyday life depends on the safe and reliable transportation of the

chemicals and products produced by our members. The business of

polyurethane chemistry relies on the nation’s transportation infrastructure

to deliver approximately 6.3 billion pounds of polyurethane products each

year. That is why CPI is committed to working with its members and their

customers in developing transportation guidelines, guidance documents,

videos, and educational materials. Through ACC Federal Relations, CPI

advocates on labeling requirements, safety benefits, implementation costs

and environmental impacts. For example, in March 2007, the U.S. Department

of Transportation (DOT) published a petition for rulemaking by the National

Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM). In this petition, NASFM

requested that polyurethane foam and certain finished products containing

it be classified as a Class 9 hazardous material for purposes of

transportation. CPI submitted comments to DOT, recommending that the

petition be denied. CPI stated several reasons why it does not support the

petition, including NASFM’s claim that polyurethane foam materials pose

unreasonable risk to health and safety or property. As polyurethane foam is

an important contributor to the U.S. economy, such a rulemaking could have

serious repercussions for consumers and small businesses.

Issue Advocacy
AmeriChem PAC

The ACC Political Action Committee (PAC) – AmeriChem PAC – is a

nonpartisan, federally registered PAC which provides the financial resources

to help elect and re-elect officials who understand the importance of the

chemical industry. AmeriChem PAC provides ACC and CPI member

companies and their employees the opportunity to participate in the political

process by contributing to candidates for the U.S. House and Senate.

By coordinating events with member company PACs, we are able to greatly

leverage the industry’s voice. A unified voice significantly benefits CPI

member companies and the polyurethane industry – and in the most recent

year, AmeriChem PAC was successful in increasing its revenue by 38 percent.

"Legislation is one of the most powerful external forces affecting the

chemical industry today. It has the ability to protect our right to operate,

reduce costs and liabilities, promote innovation and growth and improve

our standing with investors and the communities where we operate," says

Pat Dawson, president of Dow Polyurethanes, a business of The Dow

Chemical Company. "Through the AmeriChem PAC, we can help to elect

people whose views support those of us who are manufacturing products

that are essential to our lives and the U.S. economy."

political

tools

Political Tools
Grassroots

Engaging the nearly 220,000 jobs supported by the polyurethane industry is

critical to our advocacy success. Direct communication from employees to

their elected representatives can move the debate on key industry issues.

ACC provides the tools for CPI by identifying, educating, motivating and

mobilizing employees via ACC’s Impact Chemistry website which features

state-of-the-art web-based grassroots technology. These tools have proven

their effectiveness in ACC and CPI advocacy, where elected officials have

received thousands of letters from industry employees and others engaged

with our issues. Our messages are further driven home by coordination of

open houses, plant tours and regional meetings with member companies

and their local, state and federal legislators.

“We at Arch Chemicals find the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry to

be an invaluable resource for our performance urethanes business. We

often rely on CPI to help represent our industry’s interests on Capitol

Hill and in the states. It also provides us with excellent guidance and

insights into trade issues, how we can tackle complex new regulations,

Responsible Care® initiatives and technology advancements. The CPI

offers opportunities to keep current with all the issues facing our industry

and outstanding networking connections. In short, the CPI helps make

business easier!”

Rick Walden, Vice President and General Manager

Industrial Biocides and Performance Products, Arch Chemicals, Inc.

Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV)

ACC’s Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) program helps companies ensure that

their employees exercise their right to vote and strengthen their voice at the

polling place. ACC provides easy to use, web-based resources to ensure

your employees are registered, educated, and participating voters. The

GOTV program makes available information about candidate views on

issues of importance to the chemistry industry and provides direct support

for members wishing to facilitate political engagement with their employees.

Political Tools
Regulatory Compliance Assistance Program

To aid in the reporting of Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) forms, CPI offers a

Reporting Compliance Assistance Program to assist companies submitting

their annual TRI form for 4,4'-methylene diphenyl diisocyanates (MDI) and

polymeric MDI (PMDI). Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and

Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires facilities that manufacture,

process or otherwise use MDI and PMDI and exceed the thresholds limits

required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to submit a

Form A or Form R by July 1st of each year to EPA and the designated state

agency. Reported information is placed in EPA’s TRI database, where it is

made publicly available via the Internet and through the annual publication of

the TRI. This program includes an MDI/PMDI emissions estimator software and

guidebook and offers one-on-one assistance to those who submit their

company's annual TRI forms for MDI or PMDI.

Responsible Care®

CPI members who are also ACC members participate in the U.S. Responsible

Care® initiative, an industry-wide system that helps to protect the environment,

foster the health and safety of industry employees and site communities,

improve the stewardship of chemical products, and enhance the security of

facilities and the value chain. Responsible Care® delivers business value for

ACC and CPI members through credible third party audits, recognition by

government agencies, efficiencies with supply chain business partners who

abide by Responsible Care® ethics, and global consistency as the initiative is

implemented worldwide. Furthermore, recognizing common interests in health

and safety, alliances have been formed with the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA), EPA and other agencies and organizations, to

provide members streamlined access into certain highly regarded recognition

and performance programs.

"As an original signatory to the Responsible Care® Guiding Principles,

Huntsman gives the highest priority to the operation of safe, clean, efficient

facilities in an environmentally and socially responsible manner - priorities

which are also central to the ethos of the CPI."

Gregory N. Geaman, VP of Americas

Huntsman Polyurethanes

signature

programs

Signature Programs
essential2

®

In order to address an information gap about American chemistry and its

products, ACC launched the essential2 public education campaign which

defines the benefits of chemistry as essential to our way of life, engages the

public, and creates a more favorable environment for business and advocacy.

The campaign includes targeted television, web and print advertising driving

audiences to our americanchemistry.com website. The site receives close to

two million hits per month and focuses on the benefits of chemistry, and

ACC’s programs and policy matters. ACC and CPI also regularly provide

members with essential2 messages and materials for use in their facilities

and communities. Recent research indicates that essential2 is having a

positive impact on the attitudes and behaviors of all of its target audiences,

and most significantly has impacted employees of ACC and CPI members.

Signature Programs

CHEMTREC®

ACC’s Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC) continues

to set the global standard for emergency communication centers, providing

world-class round the clock resources to assist ACC and qualifying CPI

members, the chemical value chain, emergency responders and the public

in mitigating incidents involving chemicals. The call center receives nearly

100,000 calls annually and continues to expand its capabilities internationally

to respond to growing requests to provide incident mitigation for

non-North American shipments. ACC members receive CHEMTREC’s

“basic” emergency communications service free of charge.

Research

Health risk assessment is fundamental to decisions regarding chemical

regulation, and improving the quality of such assessments can have a

significant impact. ACC’s Long-Range Research Initiative (LRI) allows

companies to cost-effectively pool their resources to sponsor research to

improve the methods to study chemicals and assess human health risk in

potentially susceptible populations. The program focuses on issues of great

importance to the chemistry industry, such as biomonitoring, children’s health,

endocrine system effects and health risk assessment. The LRI frequently

partners with government agencies, academia, and international and

non-governmental organizations to address these relevant issues.

Water Bottle Label
• CPI provides a forum to communicate new and relevant technical

developments and industry issues at its annual Polyurethanes Technical

Conference.

• CPI provides relevant and timely business statistics on the consumption of

polyurethane materials in North America.

* CPI helps stakeholders understand the contribution the polyurethane

industry and its products make to society through ad placements, articles,

and websites.

• CPI updates and develops training programs, technical bulletins, industry

alerts, websites and videos on worker health and safety, materials handling,

and disposal and translates them into multiple languages to support global

product stewardship efforts.

• CPI launches a full-scale regulatory compliance assistance program for

companies submitting toxic release inventory forms for MDI emissions.

• CPI advocates for the responsible production, management and

transportation of polyurethane chemicals.

• CPI promotes product stewardship handling practices for the use of

polyurethane products and their raw materials.

• CPI identifies and initiates research projects in the flexible, rigid and

thermoplastic polyurethane markets to support positive science-based

positions for outreach, industry messaging and policy initiatives.

• CPI educates building and fire code officials, designers, product

manufacturers, users of polyurethane products and others on the benefits,

safe use and handling of polyurethanes.

• CPI provides a leadership role within the polyurethanes industry in

facilitating the proposal, evaluation and updating of methods for

analyzing polyurethane raw materials with ASTM International and ISO

standards-setting bodies to harmonize methods for polyurethane

raw material analysis.

business

value

Business Value
Meetings and Networking

A variety of highly valued meetings and workshops are organized each

year for CPI members. These are opportunities for members to interact

with each other, business partners, industry experts, government officials

and academia. CPI’s annual Polyurethanes Technical Conference provides

polyurethane leaders and professionals an opportunity to hear about the

latest research, technical developments and business issues affecting the

global polyurethanes industry.

“BASF is proud to be a member of CPI. Our people actively participate in

CPI committees, conferences, and advocacy efforts because they are of

great value to our company and the polyurethanes industry as a whole.

We also appreciate the opportunities CPI affords to appropriately network

with other polyurethanes professionals and share best practices on matters

that are important to us all, such as safety. BASF supports CPI and CPI

supports us, too.”

Ken Lane, Director – Urethanes Chemicals, North America

BASF Corporation

Publications

CPI produces a variety of publications available to members at discounted

rates. Issue papers, technical bulletins, position statements, newsletter

articles and conference proceedings are available for all segments of the

polyurethanes industry. The Socio-Economic Impact of Polyurethanes in the

United States and the bi-annual End Use Market Survey on the Polyurethanes

Industry in the United States, Canada and Mexico are two publications

produced by CPI which many members find invaluable. There also are a

number of additional publications available to CPI members through the

ACC including a bimonthly magazine, American Chemistry, which highlights

the benefits of chemistry and serves as a venue to feature member

company employees, products and programs as well as Modern Materials,

a magazine which highlights the use of plastics in building and construction.

Newsletters – such as CPINews and ACC’s daily SmartBrief – are provided

to keep members up-to-date on media coverage of the industry and its

issues, ACC and CPI initiatives and advocacy progress, and legislative

and product updates. All of our resources are available online via a

comprehensive members-only website.

"KraussMaffei considers CPI a key element in the continued proliferation

of our industry. We have supported CPI’s programs for many years and

believe that CPI provides valuable opportunities for learning more about

our industry, as well as invaluable opportunities to make key contacts."

John-Paul Mead, Vice President

KraussMaffei

Business Value