Kingspan Insulated Panels North America released its Sustainability Report, which recaps its North American project milestones for 2023, on Aug. 5. This marked the second annual report documenting the third year of Kingspan’s Planet Passionate journey.

Planet Passionate is the company’s 10-year sustainability commitment. It seeks to have a positive impact on three global challenges: climate change, circularity and the protection of the natural world. In 2023, Kingspan Insulated Panels North America made strong strides toward its energy and carbon efficiency, circularity and water targets.

Energy and Carbon Efficiency

Last year was Earth’s warmest year yet – ocean temperatures across the globe reached record-warm temperatures for nine consecutive months. From extreme wildfires to devastating droughts and flooding events, the impacts of climate change were evident in 2023.

The building and construction industry accounts for roughly 37 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest-emitting sector. As a global manufacturer, Kingspan recognizes its role in limiting GHG emissions throughout the life cycle of its products.

To achieve Kingspan’s goal of becoming net-zero carbon by 2030, the company continued to focus on minimizing its footprint by generating on-site renewable energy and purchasing direct renewable energy.

In 2023, Kingspan completed a 1.1-megawatt photovoltaic system in DeLand, Florida. Now, 100 percent of the company’s owned facilities are utilizing on-site solar PV. Because of these efforts, 2023 was the first year Kingspan saw a considerable reduction in emissions from the 2020 baseline.

Kingspan remained committed to producing low embodied carbon products. Kingspan’s QuadCore panels continued to have the lowest global warming potential across the product category in North America, and Kingspan continued to offer site-specific, supplier-specific environmental product declarations to provide customers with clear and transparent granular data on products.

Some key data points from 2023 include:

• 3,037 tons of CO² equivalent in scope 1 and 2 emissions, a 5 percent reduction from the 2020 baseline
• 5.95 gigawatt hours of total direct renewable energy utilized
• 1.68 gigawatt hours of total direct renewable energy generated on-site

Improving Circularity

The construction industry uses almost 50 percent of global materials extracted annually and is responsible for an estimated 30 percent of all waste-to-landfill globally, contributing to a significant portion of global GHG emissions. Kingspan is committed to investing in circular processes and practices to support industry stakeholders in transitioning to a circular economy.

Last year, Kingspan continued its partnership with Atlanta-based Belter Tech, a manufacturer of sustainable building materials made from reclaimed waste products, to help divert polyisocyanurate foam from landfills. In 2023 alone, Kingspan’s DeLand facility sent more than 100,000 pounds of foam waste to Belter Tech.

Kingspan’s Caledon, Ontario, facility became Kingspan’s first zero-waste-to-landfill site in 2023, diverting 395 metric tons of material. New opportunities were identified to donate panels to support the local community. For example, panels were donated to local animal shelters to create outdoor homes for cats.

Mineral fiber foam waste represents both a challenge and opportunity, as it accounts for roughly 17 percent of divisional waste. At Kingspan’s Langley, British Columbia, plant, equipment was installed on-site to granulate mineral fiber waste. The new process enabled Kingspan to send almost all waste material back to the supplier for reuse.

Some key data points from 2023 include:

• 4,996 metric tons of waste diverted from a landfill
• 38 percent reduction from waste to landfill, compared to 2020
• 71 percent waste diversion rate across all sites
• One zero-waste-to-landfill site (in Caledon)

Water Consumption

This past year, climate change shaped water issues across the U.S. in many ways – from persistent drought conditions creating water scarcity issues to increased flood risks due to large storms.

This led Kingspan to re-assess its locations to identify any changes in water risks. Any effort to reduce consumption and recycle water was critical, as most of the company’s North American sites are in water-stressed communities.

As a result of Kingspan’s water efficiency program, divisional water usage decreased by more than 573,000 gallons from 2022. In addition, harvested rainwater accounted for approximately 27 percent of water usage at Kingspan’s DeLand plant and at least 6.4 percent of divisional consumption. There are plans to expand rainwater harvesting at the Modesto, California, facility and DeLand’s office headquarters.

In Monterrey, Mexico, persistent drought conditions triggered water rations in 2023. The team reduced consumption by more than 50 percent from 2022 through water conservation strategies, like collecting water condensing on air handling units and cooling coils.

Some key data points from 2023 include:

• 184,920 gallons of rainwater harvested
• 6.4 percent of total water usage came from rainwater

“Planet Passionate is something recognized by Kingspan’s leadership and employees, and now even by the building owners, contractors and installers we work with – it’s transforming the business on all levels,” said Brent Trenga, director of sustainability for Kingspan Insulated Panels North America. “Kingspan made significant progress toward its goals in 2023, even with high production growth across our facilities. We are proud of our accomplishments in 2023 and are working hard in 2024 to achieve new milestones.”

View the full 2023 Sustainability Report. For more information on Kingspan Insulated Panels North America, visit www.kingspanpanels.us.