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Saint-Gobain adds glass-recycling capabilities at two sites in California

| By Mary Bailey

Saint-Gobain North America, through its automotive glass subsidiary Saint-Gobain Sekurit and its building products subsidiary CertainTeed Insulation, has begun a recycling program at two locations in California, where windshield glass scraps are recycled and reused in the production of insulation.

In collaboration with recycling leader, Shark Solutions, waste automotive windshield glass from Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s facility in Garden Grove, California is diverted from landfill and recycled. The resulting glass cullet is then sent to CertainTeed Insulation’s facility in Chowchilla, California, where it is used as a key recycled ingredient in the production of fiberglass insulation.

The ambitious project, which launched earlier this year, comes as Saint-Gobain continues to roll out its new global Grow and Impact strategy, which includes reducing waste and increasing the circularity of raw materials in its production processes, allowing Saint-Gobain to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2050.

“As we work to make the world a better home, it is important that we all think outside the box and develop innovative approaches to achieve our sustainability goals,” said Mark Rayfield, President & CEO of Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed. “I congratulate our facilities in Garden Grove and Chowchilla, California for creating a true, first-of-its-kind circular economy program that will be a model for others and will ensure the glass we use in our production is recycled and reused within our company, reducing our environmental footprint.”

The launch of this circular economy project in California follows several other recent actions taken by the company to solidify its commitment towards sustainability, including the announcement of another pilot circular economy program at CertainTeed Gypsum’s facility in Buchanan, New York, where the plant is partnering with three other New York companies to reclaim waste gypsum wallboard and reuse it as feedstock in its production. This year, Saint-Gobain also boosted its glass-recycling capabilities at its site in Faribault, Minnesota.