Kingspan’s upgraded Modesto, California manufacturing facility now uses upcycled plastic bottles in manufacturing, adding PV solar roof
Deland, Fla. – May 21, 2021 – Kingspan Insulated Panels North America announces new sustainability initiatives as part of the company’s global Planet Passionate program, an ambitious, decade-long commitment to cutting carbon emissions between 2020 and 2030. Through upcycling, renewable energy and a PV solar roof, a large investment in Kingspan’s plant in Modesto, California, puts Kingspan a step closer to meeting its global target with a focus on three areas:
Energy: powering 60% of all Kingspan operations directly from renewable energy with a minimum of 20% of this energy generated on manufacturing sites
Carbon: achieving net zero carbon manufacturing and a 50% reduction in product CO2 intensity from primary supply partners
Circularity: upcycling of 1 billion PET bottles per annum into insulation products plus zero company waste to landfill across all sites
The Modesto plant is upcycling PET plastic water bottles for use in Kingspan’s QuadCore® insulation, as part of the global effort to meet Planet Passionate goals of upcycling a billion water bottles a year worldwide. This is a critical step toward cleaning up the world’s beaches and oceans. According to the United Nations, the world produces 300 million tons of plastic waste each year, which is equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. Even more alarming is that 8% ends up in the world’s oceans. The UN estimates that by 2050, if nothing changes, the oceans could contain more plastic than fish.
Kingspan is also reducing its own carbon footprint by creating a PV solar panel roof at its Modesto plant to generate its own onsite power. When finalized this summer, the Modesto plant will be on the road to meeting global Planet Passionate goals to match 100% of operational energy with renewable energy. As of 2018, electricity production accounted for more than 26% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The reliance on clean energy cuts both carbon emissions and pollution.
“We need to address every aspect of sustainability when to the built environment. With each plant, we are finding new ways to meet and even exceed our goals in order to fulfill our commitment to tackling climate change,” said Brent Trenga, Kingspan’s Director of Sustainability and Education. “It is critical to our planet that we assess carbon emissions in every step of the manufacturing process. We must examine every aspect from the energy sources to the materials used.”
In addition to being more energy efficient, the plant can manufacture insulated panels at almost double the speed of its predecessor and has a state-of-the-art autonomous online conditional monitoring system, making it Kingspan’s most advanced insulated panel manufacturing plant globally.
The 138,500 sq. ft. plant employs a staff of 85 and is the City of Modesto’s third largest employer. Total investment for the plant is around $23 million and it is one of Kingspan’s five plants in North America.
Kingspan has been operating in Modesto, California, since 2008.
To learn more about Kingspan, visit www.kingspanpanels.us.
