Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  October 14, 2022

Saint-Gobain Starts Circular Economy

Saint-Gobain North America, through its building products subsidiary business unit CertainTeed Gypsum, in collaboration with three New York partner companies, has launched a circular economy initiative. 

The company began reclaiming waste gypsum wallboard at its Buchanan, New York facility and reusing the waste as feedstock for new products.

The closed-loop project, hosted at the only gypsum wallboard manufacturing site in the state of New York, 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.

The initiative was launched in collaboration with Cooper Recycling and Structure Tone and facilitated by Lendlease. The gypsum waste was separated and collected at the Structure Tone construction site, processed at the Cooper Recycling facility, and then reclaimed at the Buchanan plant creating new drywall, thereby eliminating 20 tons of gypsum waste going to landfill.

“For us to achieve our sustainability goals, we must change the way we think. By partnering with organizations in the community like Cooper Recycling and Structure Tone we can get there faster,” said Jay Bachmann, Vice President and General Manager for CertainTeed Interior Products Group, in a statement. “As the only gypsum manufacturing plant in New York, our colleagues in Buchanan were able to create a true circular economy. From the creation of drywall products, to construction, to processing scraps and back into drywall production, the material is continuously used and never leaves the state. This leads to maximizing our company’s positive impact while working to minimize our environmental footprint. Our Buchanan plant has increased our capacity to reuse recycled material and we look forward to growing this successful pilot into a long-term program while working with builders and recyclers across the state. Partnering with CertainTeed, New York builders have the opportunity to not only reduce waste at their job sites but also gain LEED points on their projects.”

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