A Legacy of Responsibility: Construction Specialties’ Sustainability Journey

Since its founding in 1948, Construction Specialties (CS) has been mindful of the use of material resources. Rooted in the resource-conscious values of its founder—who grew up during the Great Depression, when avoiding unnecessary waste and maximizing the utility of all available resources became the abiding ethos of a generation— the company has steadily transformed that early “waste-not” philosophy into a comprehensive sustainability strategy that now spans materials, manufacturing, products, and partnerships.

Today, CS views sustainability as a design philosophy rather than a checklist. It is integrated into the company's development of products, operation of facilities, and contribution to the broader built environment. This case study explores CS’ journey, from early initiatives and pioneering innovations to its structured roadmap for the future.

Early Foundations

Long before “sustainability” became a standard term in the construction industry, CS was adopting practices that demonstrated resource stewardship. In 1991, the company installed an onsite wastewater treatment plant at its Mexico facility to improve wastewater quality before it entered the municipal system and also added a purification system to provide employees and their families with clean drinking and cooking water.

By 1995, community concerns over a proposed waste incinerator near CS’ Pennsylvania facilities pushed the company to examine its environmental footprint more deeply. This led to the creation of internal “green teams” that implemented energy-efficient lighting, motion sensors, and lean manufacturing principles to optimize resources and reduce waste.

These actions reflected a core belief that protecting natural resources is inseparable from building strong communities and resilient operations.

Chemical and Carbon Footprint Leadership

As awareness increased about the health implications associated with chemicals of concern in manufacturing processes, CS began a thorough analysis of the chemical inputs in its operations, replacing potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients with safer alternatives when possible and reducing its chemical footprint. In 2002, the program expanded to examine chemical inputs in CS’ building products.

In 2007, CS was invited to join BizNGO for Safer Chemicals & Sustainable Materials, a collaboration of business and environment leaders working to advance healthy materials and safer product chemistry.

At the same time, CS was making efforts to manage its carbon footprint. In 2008, it began sequestering carbon on-site through a 17-acre reforestation project, and in 2009 started purchasing Green-e renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset energy use. These initiatives demonstrated a willingness to pair reductions at the facility level with investments in broader environmental solutions.

In 2015, CS contributed to Clean Production Action’s Chemical Footprint Project, a benchmarking tool for measuring a business’s progress toward safer chemical management.

Cradle to Cradle and Circular Economy Innovation

A defining moment in CS’s sustainability journey was its embrace of the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Product Standard. Run by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, the philosophy of designing products for perpetual reuse aligned with CS’s values and influenced product development.

In 2004, CS launched Acrovyn® 3000, the industry’s first and only PVC-free wall protection product. By 2009, Acrovyn achieved Cradle to Cradle Silver® certification. A year later, Acrovyn advanced to Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold with a recyclable PET-based formulation.

Recently, Acrovyn achieved another monumental milestone —in 2024 it was reformulated to be the first wall protection product with recycled content from post-consumer PET bottles or food-grade single-use plastics. Every sheet of Acrovyn now keeps about 130 water bottles out of landfills and is made of up to 50% post-consumer recycled content.

Transparency and Industry Collaboration

Transparency has been a key focus for CS since 2011, when it began labeling products and disclosing detailed product information. Membership in the Health Product Declaration Collaborative and support for mindful MATERIALS furthered this commitment, ensuring that architects, designers, and owners can access reliable data when making sustainable product selections.

The company is also an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council and previously participated in AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) and the International Living Future Institute’s Living Product 50, and more. These collaborations allow CS to share expertise, adopt emerging best practices, and contribute to shaping the future of sustainable building.

Roadmap: The Common Materials Framework

To guide its future sustainability initiatives, CS has adopted the Common Materials Framework (CMF)— a universal language and structured reference for product sustainability, developed by the nonprofit mindful MATERIALS, to organize and compare data from various certifications and disclosures into five key impact areas: Climate Health, Human Health, Ecosystem Health, Social Health + Equity, and Circularity. Its goal is to provide clarity, alignment, and a common foundation for manufacturers, designers, and other stakeholders in the building industry to make more informed and holistic sustainable material decisions.

Climate Health

• 100% Renewable Electricity – Completed energy audits and now implementing energy reduction projects, as well as using 100% wind electricity through power purchasing agreements, at Pennsylvania manufacturing facilities.
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) – CS has obtained 38 product-specific wall protection environmental product declarations as well as one for louvers. A forthcoming EPD for Acrovyn Doors is anticipated to be published by the end of the year.

Human Health

• Minimizing Harmful Substances – Acrovyn avoids the worst-in-class chemicals of concern; PVC, ILFI’s Red List , and Green Science Policy Institute’s Six Classes.
• Health Product Declaration (HPD) – Ingredient transparency with LEEDv4 compliant HPD at 100ppm for Acrovyn sheet products and GridLine® G6, G62, G6PR
• Indoor Air Quality – Intertek Certified Clean Air GOLD, meeting the California Department of Public Health Standard Method v1.2 01350-2017 indoor air quality for low-emitting products on many Interior Product Solutions and Entrance Floor Solutions products

Ecosystem Health

• Manufacturing and Supply Chain Environmental Impacts – Certifications such as FSC and Cradle to Cradle ensure supply chain practices are continually evaluated for environmental impact, including pollution and water use.

Social Health + Equality

• Positive Impact Projects – Volunteer initiatives, including partnerships with Habitat for Humanity, Adopt-A-Highway, and local nonprofits were even more amplified during CS’ 75th anniversary in 2023.

Circular Economy

• Recycled Content – Integration of up to 50% post-consumer recycled PET content into Acrovyn, sourced from bottles and other single-use plastics.
• Pre-and-post consumer recycled content in all product lines: Acrovyn Doors, Entrance Flooring, Architectural Louvers and Elements, Sun Controls, Expansion Joint Solutions, and Privacy Curtains. 

Through this roadmap, CS ensures that sustainability is addressed holistically, covering all five buckets of sustainability: Human Health, Climate Health, Ecosystem Health, Social Health and Equity, and a Circular Economy.

Looking Ahead

CS’ journey is ongoing, guided by the belief that true sustainability is achieved not through isolated actions, but through an enduring commitment to People. Buildings. And Pursuing Better. The company plans to deepen its efforts in reducing embodied carbon, continue improving transparency, and advancing circular economy principles across the industry.