Saint-Gobain North America, through its electrochromic glass subsidiary SageGlass, announced that it will recycle over 1,000 tons of glass per year for the next five years, diverting the material from landfills and upcycling the components for future use through an agreement with a third-party processor based in Minnesota.
This agreement comes just months after the company announced its new global Grow and Impact strategy, which includes reducing waste and increasing the recycling of materials at its manufacturing sites. Under the terms of the agreement, glass from SageGlass’s manufacturing plant in Faribault, Minnesota will be shipped offsite, where the third party processor, using proprietary technology, will transform it into materials such as cullet used in highway striping and fiberglass insulation and metal for use in mills and foundries.
“As the leading manufacturer in electrochromic glass technology, we have a responsibility to be a good corporate citizen and strive to become a leader in sustainability,” said DJ Damberger, Vice President and General Manager of SageGlass. “Our new recycling partnership will allow us to maximize our company’s positive impact, for our customers and the communities where we do business, while minimizing our environmental footprint and reducing landfill waste.”
This partnership follows several other recent actions taken by the company to solidify its commitment towards sustainability:
• In March, Saint-Gobain North America installed heat recovery technology at its CertainTeed gypsum manufacturing site in Vancouver, British Columbia, reducing the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions by 10% and improving energy efficiency.
• Also in March, Saint-Gobain North America announced that the 2021 results of its virtual power purchase agreement with the Blooming Grove Wind Farm, and additional renewables contracting, had reduced the company’s CO2 emissions from electricity usage in the United States and Canada by approximately 33%.
• In February, Saint-Gobain North America invested $32 Million to upgrade equipment at its insulation plant in Chowchilla, California, reducing the facility’s carbon footprint by more than 4,000 metric tons per year.
• In January, Saint-Gobain North America donated a zero energy ready house in Canton, Ohio, made with more than 20 of its own products, to Habitat for Humanity.