Sustainability in Construction: Our Commitment

At Tremco CPG Europe's production facility in Bodenwöhr, Germany, 95% of the waste generated no longer ends up in waste incineration but is instead reused as heating material for a local cement factory, replacing the oil that was used previously. 

Our production facility and warehouse sites in Poland use presses for plastic, paper and mixed waste to reduce its volume. The precision technologies used on our production lines also allow for 100% waste elimination that could be caused by faulty or imprecise products.  

Tremco CPG France has been a member of EcoDDS since 2015, a non-profit company approved by the public authorities since 2013. Its mission is to encourage sorting and collect and treat chemical waste.

All sites across Europe (production, warehouse, offices) utilise waste segregation bins to split recyclable waste from non-recyclable waste. 

At many of our sites across Europe, timers and motion sensors have been used for lighting to avoid wasting electricity. Solar panels have also been fitted to production facilities, such as our production facility in Bodenwöhr, Germany. 

Many of our sites, including the production facility and warehouse buildings in Poland were designed in a way that allows maximum natural daylight to flood the buildings, through the use of skylights, to reduce energy consumption. 

Underfloor heating and cooling, as well as 'cold roof technology' is also installed at some of our sites in Europe to limit the energy needed to heat and cool our buildings. 

Product sustainability 

As a member of the umbrella organisation for the adhesive and sealant industry FEICA, we subject our products to the requirements of the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). These EPDs contain data on the environmental impact and performance of products and are verified by third parties. Based on these EPDs and Tremco CPG Europe product declarations, life cycle assessments for sustainable construction projects are reliably drawn up for products at all stages - production, supply, application and the end of their longevity - and have a minimal impact on the environment. 

Many of our products are inherently hardwearing in order to contribute to constructions that will stand the test of time. Take our Flowfresh flooring from Flowcrete, for example. The Flowfresh range contains a special antimicrobial additive - Polygiene® - that inhibits the growth of bacteria on the floor surface. This means less effort, energy and water is needed to keep the floor hygienic and clean, which becomes especially necessary in healthcare centres and food processing facilities where health and cleanliness is paramount. Additionally, the Flowfresh flooring range has high chemical resistance, meaning that it can withstand harsh cleaning chemicals without the risk of floor failure. These hardwearing properties, designed for the environments they will be used in, contribute to long lasting construction solutions. 

Packaging

The reduction of packaging ending up in landfill is a key priority of Tremco CPG Europe. By introducing more products in foil packs, our aim is to reduce the amount of empty tubes to landfill each year. Products like illbruck’s SP045 not only come in environmentally friendly packaging, they also host properties such as low VOC, low odour formulation and are free of isocyanates and solvents. With the use of the 300 ml sausage packs from the illbruck glue and sealant range, instead of the usual 310 ml plastic cartridges, you save an average of 87% packaging material. 

Tremco CPG Europe's team in France is working with the CITEO, an organisation that specialises in recycling packaging other than DDS. Tremco CPG France pays an ecocontribution on its sales of products that include over packaging (e.g. cardboard and paper). 

In the Netherlands, millions of cans of polyurethane foam are produced every year. To avoid the empty cans going to landfill, Tremco CPG came up with the solution for the disposal and recycling of used polyurethane foam cans: the ReBus Return System. Polyurethane foam cans can be deposited and are returned back to Tremco CPG Europe. Once returned, the propellant, polyurethane, aluminum and cardboard are separated so that these materials can be reused. 95% of each can can be reused! From the cans we obtain prepolymer (PREPUR®), liquefied gas (TRIGAS®), plastic granulate PE/PP, tin and aluminum. We ensure that these raw materials come back into the production cycle. 

Within our industry leading product brands, we have introduced sustainable alternatives using the latest technology. Our product brand illbruck for example produces sealants, coatings and adhesives based on hybrid technology. The SP products from illbruck are:

• Free of isocyanates, silicones and solvents
• Environmentally friendly
• Easy to apply

Furthermore, the products are odourless and the entire SP range has an EC1 Plus certificate. Products with this certificate have extremely low emissions of volatile substances. These 'green' alternatives maintain the same excellent performance that our customers are used to. 

Our flooring products

LDE Filler: Launched under our Flowcrete product brand, LDE Filler improves safety for the applicator due to the reduction of dust during the blending process. This greatly reduces the possibility of lung problems such as chronic silicosis. Independent test reports show that LDE Filler contains less than 0.04% inhalable dust, which is 25 times less than the maximum threshold of 1% and of other fine fillers available in the market.

Low VOC emissions: We want to ensure that our floor systems are environmentally friendly during application, but that this also remains throughout its life. A large number of Flowcrete systems therefore achieve the best standard for VOC emissions and have been awarded the Indoor Air Comfort Gold certificate. Choosing these systems offers the certainty that they have low VOC emissions and that they meet the requirements of sustainable building programs such as BREEAM, LEED or AgBB.

Insulated Concrete Forms

Nudura's Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) can be used to build sustainable green buildings that often qualify for LEED certification (UK) and will provide Passivhaus levels of insulation and airtightness. Allowing architects, engineers, and designers to create buildings which are more efficient, sustainable and have a lasting value.

Studies indicate that in-use operation, including heating and cooling, account for up to 90% of a building’s environmental impact over its lifetime. ICF’s ability to combine permanent EPS formwork with in-situ concrete walls maximises airtightness and thermal efficiency, resulting in long-life expectancy and significantly reduced energy/environmental costs. ICFs are made from EPS, which is 98% air - the building materials themselves are 100% recyclable. 

Explore all seven of our product brands to find out how our products and solutions can contribute to your energy efficient and sustainable build.