Demonstrating continuous improvement in glass manufacturing
Float, coated and laminated glass product ranges manufactured in Europe by Guardian Glass have attained Bronze level Cradle to Cradle re-certification. Jonathan Brunette, ESG & certification manager at Guardian, explains the advantages of using Cradle to Cradle certified products in buildings.
In November 2022, three Guardian Glass product ranges – float, coated and laminated glass – were officially Cradle to Cradle Certified (C2C Certified) for the second time to Bronze level version 3.1.
The recertification involved an independent third party assessing the safety, circularity and responsibility of our materials, products and processes across five categories of sustainability performance: material health, material re-utilisation, renewable energy & carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.
Cradle to Cradle Certified is an advanced, science-based, multi-attribute certification program for designing, making and verifying materials that are considered safe, circular and responsibly made. The standard encourages continuous improvement over time by awarding certification on the basis of ascending levels of achievement. Each certification level (Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum) represents increasingly rigorous achievement across the five categories of performance.
While the same products are now re-certified overall to Bronze level version 3.1, Guardian Glass is now also one of the first float glass companies to meet some of the more stringent requirements of version 4.0.
The three product families are at least C2C Certified Bronze level version 4.0 in three out of five performance categories (some of which have changed from version 3.1): material health, product circularity, and water & soil stewardship. Float glass manufactured in Europe is C2C Certified Gold level version 4.0 in the material health performance category, meaning that 100% of substances were assessed.
This demonstrates our continuous improvement, transparency and commitment as a company to environmental stewardship. We have a transition timeline and we are motivated to meet our target of attaining C2C Bronze level version 4.0 in all five performance categories in the future.
Companies should not underestimate the amount of time and effort required for C2C certification. A lot of the work required is based on data collection and coordinating with operational and environmental, health and safety (EH&S) teams.
In terms of resources, around 60 Guardian Glass employees were involved globally in these activities. For example, in the water & soil stewardship category, a lot of work was required in demonstrating our compliance and ensuring our activities comply with the local laws and regulations for each production plant. A lot of effort was spent demonstrating our compliance with chemical regulations too – which process chemicals are being used at our plants, in which quantity, and ensuring there are no restricted or prohibited substances. How much water we use and how much do we discharge back into the environment was also assessed, as well as how we properly handle wastewater.
Under the Social Fairness category v3.1 Bronze, the C2C Certified Products Innovation Institute ensures we have the appropriate tools, measures and controls in place to mitigate potential higher risk areas. A streamlined self-audit is conducted to assess the protection of fundamental human rights, management procedures aiming to address any identified issues have been provided, a full social responsibility self-audit is complete, and a positive impact strategy is developed (based on UN Global Compact Tool or B-Corp).
There is a lot of discussion taking place in the glass industry today about low carbon content glass products and how some glass manufacturers are increasing the percentage of recycled or broken glass (cullet) going into their products. While this is important, it must be recognised that this represents one aspect of becoming more sustainable as a company.
Applying our Stewardship Framework encompasses so much more than just using recycled glass in our production. It involves assessing many different aspects related to environmental, social and governance categories.
What are the advantages of using C2C Certified Products in a building? The Cradle to Cradle Building Charter encourages architects and designers to create environmentally responsible buildings that have a positive impact on the communities where they are built.
Incorporating a wide range of C2C Certified Products and materials is one of the options to help achieve this. Indeed, a growing number of brands, organisations and green buildings standards such as LEED, BREEAM and WELL recognise the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard as a preferred product designation for making more responsible purchasing decisions. All C2C Certified Products and materials from different manufacturers are stored on a searchable database which can be accessed by architects and designers.
For guidance on environmental certification and how the Guardian range of glass products can help make your building more energy efficient and raise your LEED or other building certification program score, we have a team of experts who can help.