California Sports Surfaces (CSS), a division of ICP Group, was recognized as an industry leader in sustainable surfaces by the American Coatings Association’s (ACA) Sustainability Report 2024 for its CoolTop® product line. Athletic courts, such as those used for pickleball, tennis and basketball, must meet certain standards—but these standards can often become major contributors to heat sinks, retaining surface heat for hours, especially during warmer months.
CSS is at the forefront of moving the industry toward more responsible manufacturing for sports surfaces and is among the first to use recycled content in cushioned courts, running track systems and court surface reflectivity. Using a proprietary formulation beyond standard reflective pigments, CSS’s CoolTop® coatings have solar reflective ratings between 20% and 30% higher than standard court coatings. Real-world readings have found a reduction of double-digit temperature decrease between CoolTop® and standard court surface coatings.
In addition to reducing the impact of heat sinks, this sustained reduction in temperature helps to provide greater comfort to the players and coaches who are on those courts, so they can stay cooler and play longer.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the ACA for the hard work and dedication of the California® Sports Surfaces team in creating a truly revolutionary sports surface,” said Tom Magner, Director of Product Management for California® Sports Surfaces. “Our mission is innovation, and we will continue to be at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions for sports courts everywhere.”
Other conclusions in ACA’s report include:
- The coatings industry is at the forefront of creating products that assist in lowering the negative effects associated with climate change and minimizing impacts from manufacturing and transportation.
- Decarbonization—the reduction or elimination of carbon dioxide emissions—is quickly becoming the preferred metric to showcase sustainability efforts.
- Advancing and developing new technologies to enhance the longevity of our built environment are paramount for the paint and coatings industry.
- Products designed with renewable raw materials to produce bio-based solvents, resins, additives and pigments are becoming increasingly popular due to consumer demand for eco-friendly products.
CSS is committed to furthering the ACA’s long-term sustainability goals with its continued innovation and execution to bring the most sustainable sports surface technology to the industry.
For more information on our CoolTop® technology, visit www.californiasportssurfaces.com.