DELAND, Fla., Aug. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kingspan Insulated Panels North America today releases its Sustainability Report, recapping its North American project milestones for 2022. The sustainability strategy revolved around Planet Passionate, Kingspan’s 10-year sustainability commitment.
The Planet Passionate sustainability program aims to have a positive impact on three global challenges: climate change, circularity and the protection of the natural world.
In 2022, Kingspan Insulated Panels North America made great strides toward its targets, including the installation of solar PV on its Modesto site, two sites diverting more than 95% of waste from landfills, and procuring direct renewable energy for half its sites.
Additional projects to reduce Kingspan’s carbon footprint and make positive environmental impacts have continued into 2023.
Energy + Carbon Efficiency
Urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global temperature rise. With the current warming of 1.1 degrees Celsius, people and the planet are already experiencing damages and losses. Kingspan is committed to playing its part in limiting global temperature rise.
Energy has a major impact on climate change, accounting for roughly two-thirds of global greenhouse emissions. Because of this, Kingspan continued to focus on finding and procuring renewable energy sources in 2022. Some regional solutions included:
- Installing Kingspan Insulated Panels North America’s first solar PV system in Modesto, California
- Replacing natural gas with direct renewable natural gas through FortisBC in Langley, British Columbia
- Purchasing direct renewable electricity where possible, including wind energy for Columbus, Ohio
While increasing direct renewable energy consumption, addressing operational emissions and collaborating with suppliers, Kingspan is also focused on reducing the embodied carbon of its products. Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions that come from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance and disposal of building materials. This represents 11% of global carbon emissions.
Kingspan is focused on mitigating its environmental impacts across the value chain by offering high-performing products with lower embodied carbon and embedding circular practices across processes to reduce virgin material used.
Kingspan believes that measuring and being transparent with its environmental impact is key for making product decisions.
Improving Circularity
A sustainable future requires responsible use of the Earth’s finite resources. Global population and economic growth continue to intensify the competition for natural resources.
To limit its use of these finite resources, Kingspan continued to embed circularity into operations in 2022. Separation of waste enabled Kingspan to find avenues for upcycling materials where possible.
For example, Kingspan’s DeLand facility rolled out a waste segregation initiative, separating waste into nine streams. Through this initiative, the DeLand facility diverted the vast majority of its waste from landfills in 2022. Kingspan strives to be zero waste to landfill by 2030.
Kingspan also partners with Atlanta-based Belter Tech, a manufacturer of sustainable building materials made from reclaimed waste products and recycled feedstocks. Belter Tech repurposes polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulated panel waste from Kingspan’s DeLand facility into a filler for its cementitious mixes.
Water Consumption
Population and economic growth make water demand rise, while climate change makes supply less certain. Kingspan is committed to reducing water intake and sourcing water from rainwater where possible. In 2022, Kingspan commissioned a water efficiency program to reduce water consumption in its offices and facilities.
Kingspan also has a goal to harvest 27 million gallons of rainwater by 2030. To reach that goal and establish the best locations for rainwater harvesting systems, Kingspan’s engineering team conducted a rainfall analysis at all its facilities. Due to heavy yearly rainfall numbers, the DeLand, Florida, location was chosen for the North America flagship rainwater harvesting system.
DeLand’s rainwater system currently harvests rainwater off 16% of the total roof space – roughly 33,000 square feet – and is capable of processing 1.2 million gallons per year. DeLand is using roughly 200,000 gallons per year of water to flush toilets and feed its sprinkler system.
Kingspan works to keep waterways free of waste. In June 2022, 47 volunteers from Kingspan’s DeLand facility collected 120 pounds of trash and 30 pounds of plastic from Ormond Beach, Florida. Later that year, in October, a group from Kingspan’s Modesto facility was also part of the Tuolumne River and surrounding park cleanup with Operation 9-2-99. The group was able to clean up over 1,200 pounds of garbage from the local environment.
"The amazing part about Planet Passionate is not only how robust and specific the targets are, but the accelerated pace of the program. We understand that by setting targets for 2030, we can make a significant difference to our environmental footprint and the behavior that drives change in the construction sector,” said Brent Trenga, Director of Sustainability for Kingspan Insulated Panels North America. “We are proud of our milestones in 2022 and looking forward to seeing the outcomes of our efforts in 2023 and beyond.”
To view the full 2022 Sustainability Report, click here.
For more information on Kingspan Insulated Panels North America, visit kingspan.com/us.
About Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America
Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America is a business unit of Kingspan, a global company operating in more than 80 countries, with over 200 manufacturing facilities. Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America manufactures and markets three groups of products at its U.S., Canadian and Mexican facilities: insulated metal wall and roof panel systems for commercial/industrial construction; insulated architectural panel and façade systems for design-driven projects; and controlled environment panels for cold-storage and climate-controlled warehousing. In addition to its commitment to quality and innovation, the company is on the leading edge of the sustainability movement, offering best-of-class products produced in state-of-the-art facilities which apply a range of sustainability measures. To learn more visit www.kingspanpanels.us.
About Kingspan Group
Kingspan Group is the global leader in high-performance insulation and building envelope solutions. Kingspan’s mission is to accelerate a net zero emissions future built environment with the wellbeing of people and planet at its heart.
The Group’s five operating divisions manufacture a range of high-performance products for energy efficient, low carbon and healthy buildings, enabling savings in energy, carbon and water usage in buildings, supporting better performance and value for those who own, work and live in them.
Kingspan is dedicated to continuous innovation to drive the decarbonisation of the built environment, which is responsible for 39% of energy-related carbon emissions globally. Kingspan invests in constant innovation in advanced materials and digitalisation to solve the sustainability challenges of the future.
The Group’s ambitious 10-year Planet Passionate sustainability program aims to have a positive impact on three big global challenges: climate change, circularity and the protection of the natural world. As part of this programme, Kingspan is targeting a 90% carbon emissions reduction within its operations and a 50% reduction in the CO2 intensity of its primary supply chain partners by 2030[1]; alongside other ambitious goals.
The Group employs over 22,000 people globally, with over 210 manufacturing sites and a presence in over 80 countries worldwide.
[1]When compared with a 2020 base year
Media Contact
Hannah Conley
Uproar PR for Kingspan Insulated Panels North America
321-236-0102
hconley@uproarpr.com
