Circulary

The Institute for Sustainable Development, leading Polish think-tank dealing with sustainable development prepared in 2015 a report ”Challenging time – time to respond. Towards circular economy” to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Saint-Gobain Group. The report presents the situation in Poland with regard to the implementation of the principles of sustainable development. It shows the challenges the country is facing put in the context of the future of the world, seen both from the point of view of the business and environmental organisations. In subsequent chapters, the Institute presents the concept of circular economy and discusses some selected practical solutions applied in Poland by Saint-Gobain Group in the area of construction, energy and environment, such as materials for the construction sector, and technologically advanced products supporting energy efficiency or sustainable development. Examples from the report are presented in the part – “added value”.

• Saint-Gobain Building Distribution, together with specialised operators, runs a project which consists of collecting and disposing of rubble from construction sites. It is then recycled, and thanks to that it is fit for re-use in some construction work.

• Saint-Gobain HPM Polska plant significantly reduced the impact of its operations on the natural environment, thanks to the elimination of naphthalene – an ingredient of solvents, dyes or soot. It was possible thanks to organisational and technical measures as well as research and development, which assumed complete replacement of naphthalene with a substance neutral for the environment

• Ecophon reduces the waste to a minimum at all stages of product lifecycle, which is manifested in the production process, for instance, by using more than 70% of recycled glass. Another example is the introduction, at the design stage, of the Ecophon Master Matrix solution, which assumes use of sound-absorbing panels without cutting them to size, which means zero-waste

• Isover launched the implementation of a global project of the Saint-Gobain’s Group, CARE:4® (Company Actions for the Reduction of Energy by 4) program calls for a fourfold reduction in overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the Group’s own office buildings by 2040. Isover’s headquarters in Gliwice was completely refurbished, and in the process not only insulation were used but also RES were installed. As a result, the building’s energy needs have been reduced.

• Not a priority for construction companies in Poland
• Low awareness of PL construction sector of circular economy issues (e.g. Construction and Demolition Waste Management)
• No obligation for investors/construction sector to use products with EPDs, more durable, meeting Green Public Procurement requirements etc.
• Lack of resources dedicated to law enforcement related to circular economy
• Insufficient financial penalties

Henryk Kwapisz

+48 22 457 14 35

henryk.kwapisz@saint-gobain.com