Orion Engineered Carbons, a specialty chemicals company, announced that it has achieved a significant sustainability milestone by becoming the first company to receive International Sustainability and Carbon Certifications (ISCC Plus) for multiple carbon black grades produced from various feedstocks at facilities in two different parts of the world.

In order to receive the ISCC PLUS certification, Orion's facilities and business practices underwent thorough audits that proved the company complied with stringent sustainability standards. Additionally, it examined the value chain of the business at three sites that manufacture the relevant grades of carbon black to confirm the transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials.

Corning Painter, Orion’s CEO, said that the internationally renowned certification "further reinforces Orion's position as the pioneer in our sector for delivering sustainable solutions for their tire, mechanical rubber goods, and specialized customers. Getting the accreditation is a significant accomplishment for the marketing of their line of sustainable products. ISCC PLUS provides proof to their clients that Orion keeps moving forward with environmentally conscious innovation.

The ECORAX® Circular grades made in Borger, Texas, and Belpre, Ohio, using pyrolysis oils from end-of-life tires, are among the ISCC PLUS approved products. Additionally discussed is ECORAX® Nature 200, a bio-circular feedstock-based product made in Jaslo, Poland.

Significantly, the authorized goods are "drop-ins" that require little to no reformulation in the sophisticated rubber compounds employed by our major tire manufacturing customers. They are comparable to conventional grades.

Painter added that no other company produces several grades of sustainable carbon black with various feedstocks at numerous locations across the world. A vital step to enable the shift to a circular economy for tires is to introduce a broad range of goods that may be employed in highly demanding tire applications employing such materials.

Pedro Riveros, senior vice president for global rubber carbon black and general manager for the Americas, said that their clients have expressed a huge level of interest in their sustainable goods. A number of businesses have made outspoken claims that they would have entirely sustainable raw materials by 2050 or before. Since rubber and carbon black make up the majority of the raw resources used to make rubber compounds, switching to sustainable carbon blacks will significantly help them meet their obligations.