Saint-Gobain Launches Glass Circular Economy Program at Two Facilities in California, Recycling Windshield Glass to be Used in Insulation Production

GARDEN GROVE, Calif., December 13, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.

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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. Other action include:

Q4 Highlights: October- December:

• Last month, Saint-Gobain announced technology upgrades at its CertainTeed Roofing plant in Shakopee, Minnesota, which are projected to save 5,000 MWh of electricity per year.

• Saint-Gobain and TotalEnergies signed a 10-year renewable electricity supply agreement expected to offset nearly 33% of Saint-Gobain North America’s Scope 2 emissions from electricity and the company started up operations at its new electrical powerhouse on its flagship campus in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is projected to reduce the site’s carbon dioxide emissions by 50%.

Q3 Highlights: July- September:

• Saint-Gobain announced it will save two million gallons of water per year at its CertainTeed Social Circle, Georgia siding plant after installing a smart water meter system and upgrading manufacturing equipment.

• The company also announced its intent to install equipment at its Palatka, Florida gypsum plant that will increase the recycled content in its wallboard products by 18,000 tons/year while reducing the site’s carbon dioxide emissions by 2,260 tons/year and its upgrade of key equipment at its Buchanan, New York gypsum plant, saving nearly 700,000 kWh of electricity per year.

Q2 Highlights: April – June

• Saint-Gobain announced a $91 Million CAD investment in its gypsum plant in Montreal, creating the first zero-carbon manufacturing site for wallboard in North America and increasing the plant’s production capacity by 40%.

• In addition, the company also announced how its newly installed recycling technology at its gypsum wallboard plant in Nashville, Arkansas would save 65,000 tons of material per year from landfill and how a partnership at its SageGlass electrochromic glass production site in Faribault, Minnesota, would save 1,000 tons of material per year from landfill over the next five years.

Q1 Highlights: January – March

• Saint-Gobain North America announced it would install heat recovery technology at its CertainTeed gypsum manufacturing site in Vancouver, British Columbia, reducing the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions by 10% and improving its energy efficiency.

• In addition, the company also announced a $32 Million investment in upgraded equipment at its CertainTeed insulation plant in Chowchilla, California, reducing the facility’s carbon footprint by more than 4,000 metric tons per year.

With over 120 manufacturing locations in the United States, every current and future member of the company’s team plays a vital role in achieving its sustainability goals. A current list of job openings at all Saint-Gobain locations, including Garden Grove and Chowchilla, can be found on the company’s careers website.

About CertainTeed

Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has helped shape the building products industry for more than 115 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm’s slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, solar, fence, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings. www.certainteed.com.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, "MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME."

€44.2 billion in sales in 2021
167,000 employees, located in 76 countries
Committed to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050

For more details on Saint-Gobain, visit http://www.saint-gobain.com and follow us on Twitter @saintgobain.

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