EAE Sr. VP Patrick Nation Talks Sustainability with the Asphalt Institute:

In a recent interview for Asphalt, the magazine of the Asphalt Institute, Patrick Nation, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (Ergon A&E) Senior Vice President and Chair of the Asphalt Institute, shared his thoughts about sustainability as it pertains to the asphalt industry and to Ergon.

The asphalt industry certainly plays an important role in today’s society. “We are the main resource going into the transportation system that moves people and goods around the world,” Nation explained. “Without a great transportation network, people and businesses suffer tremendously. This will not change moving forward. The world might look a little different, but transportation networks will be an important part of whatever our world looks like in the future.”

According to Nation, the industry has a good story to tell about sustainability. “We just need to tell it,” he said. “This is a space where the industry can play an important role and help with challenges faced around the world.”

The asphalt paving industry is one of the top recycling industries in the world. Asphalt is 100% reusable and the most recycled material in America, with an estimated 94% of reclaimed material going back into new pavements. Asphalt Institute members supply most of the binder in this industry and lead the effort in recycling.

“Carbon-reducing technologies that can reduce the production of hot mix temperatures and instantly capture a significant reduction in carbon are available today. Our industry has also developed pavement maintenance technologies that get produced and applied at lower temperatures,” Nation added. “These technologies can and will be included in agency LCA (life cycle assessment) plans, and this will help agencies reduce their carbon footprint.”

When asked what he sees as the greatest opportunities for the asphalt industry in the future, Patrick said he believes they can lead the infrastructure narrative on sustainability. “I think we have the people and assets to help be a solution to the ESG (environmental, social and governance) movement,” he added. “We are in a good space going forward and need to embrace the changes that are coming.”

Sustainability at Ergon

“For Ergon, sustainability means doing right,” Nation commented. “We strive to always do the right thing through our company and for the people we represent, including our employees, their families, our customers and the world we operate in. By reducing our carbon footprint, Ergon has reasonable plans to make sure we are doing our part to help.”

A few examples of specific steps taken by Ergon A&E include:

• Patented technologies to reduce effects of aging on asphalt and enable the use of higher levels of recycled materials in asphalt have been developed by Ergon companies.

• Ergon A&E’s warm mix asphalt technology is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional hot mix applications, reducing carbon emissions, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter and more.

• Ergon A&E’s micro surfacing and chip seal treatments offer 44% and 51% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional roadway construction methods.

• Crafco, a division of Ergon A&E, recycles an average of 10 million pounds of crumb rubber from tires each year, leading to the reduction of 30 million pounds of CO2e emissions.

To learn more about Ergon’s ESG efforts or download our Doing Right Report, visit https://ergon.com/sustainability.

And if you would like more information about the environmentally friendly products offered by Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, find your local sales representative at https://ergonasphalt.com/locations.