Construction waste is a major environmental problem, increasing the burden on landfills which emit methane, pollute the air and contribute to the greenhouse effect. A top producer of waste, the construction industry generated over 600,000 tons of construction and demolition (C&D) debris in 2018 according to the EPA.
To tackle climate change, it is clear that the “take-make-waste” way of doing business must shift to a more sustainable approach that advances and supports the circular economy.
That’s exactly what Kingspan’s Planet Passionate initiative is designed to achieve. Planet Passionate targets are built around key circularity goals including zero waste to landfill by 2030.
We are making great strides toward achieving the zero waste goal. At our DeLand, Florida plant the manufacturing floor uses nine color-coded bins to separate waste for recycling. Employees know that cardboard goes into metal cages, plastic is put into red bins and orange bins are for wood, just to name a few. To ensure waste is repurposed and/or recycled, the plant established partnerships with three recycling companies:
Belter Tech
One of the most challenging materials to recycle is foam, a large component of insulated metal panels. Kingspan found a resource for recycling this foam in Atlanta-based Belter Tech. Using panel and foam waste out of the DeLand plant, Belter Tech is able to upcycle the foam scrap for products, such as ceiling tiles. One tractor-trailer load is sent to Belter Tech per week to ensure a steady stream of waste reduction.
GFL Environmental
Kingspan is partnering with GFL Environmental to recycle plastic, panel and wood/cardboard waste generated by our DeLand plant. Picked up every other week, this waste is diverted from the landfill, recycled to find new life in a variety of materials and products.
Covanta
The DeLand plant partners with sustainable waste and energy solutions company Covanta to convert waste to energy. Covanta picks up general waste from the plant every other week and combusts it to generate steam which creates energy for electricity.
As part of the Kingspan’s zero waste to landfill initiative, the DeLand plant tracks the waste stream, entering data on where all waste materials including municipal waste, steel, plastic and PIR and wood. This data is then analyzed to chart progress toward 100% zero waste.
To date, 79% of DeLand plant waste is being diverted from landfills.
Kingspan is now working to replicate the color-coded waste stream recycling system used in the DeLand plant in four other plants in North America. With the help of outside partners, Kingspan has accelerated its efforts to achieve zero waste to landfill.
