Hydro Building Systems and Saint-Gobain Glass partner to develop low-carbon facades

Both companies are leading the way in using low-carbon products thanks to a high percentage of recycled materials: in particular, Hydro Building Systems' aluminum facade solutions made from Hydro CIRCAL® 75R and the substrate of ORAÉ® glass from Saint-Gobain Glass.

Hydro CIRCAL® 75R, first launched in 2019, is a premium aluminum made with a minimum of 75% post-consumer recycled aluminum. Hydro CIRCAL® 75R has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world: 2,3 kg of CO2 per kg of aluminium.

ORAÉ® is a new glass substrate with the lowest carbon footprint in the world. According to its EPD, ORAÉ® has a verified carbon footprint of 6,64 kg of CO2 equivalent per square meter (for a 4 mm substrate), a reduction of 42% compared to Saint-Gobain's European reference clear glass Glass. This reduction was achieved through the use of renewable electricity and 64% recycled content.

With a shared commitment to sustainable development, Saint-Gobain Glass and Hydro Building Systems, which includes the TECHNAL and WICONA brands, are committed to helping developers and specifiers create buildings that are more sustainable and have a lower carbon footprint. . The building sector is currently responsible for 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

According to a façade life cycle analysis study, it is estimated that the carbon inherent in the building façade could be halved by combining Hydro CIRCAL® 75R façade systems with ORAÉ® products, such as glass solar control COOL-LITE® XTREME ORAÉ®.

Additionally, due to stringent emissions regulations and the simple fact that resource reserves are slowly but surely being depleted, the world is increasingly interested in urban mining. Hydro Building Systems and Saint-Gobain Glass are separately investing in the development of urban mining partnerships across Europe, in line with their approach to circularity.

Each company has implemented initiatives to collect and recycle end-of-life aluminum and glass, thus promoting circularity. This is what is currently being done in the context of the renovation of a building in France.

Finally, by investing in recycled and recyclable products and supporting circularity, property developers can not only reduce embodied carbon and create more end-of-life value for the building, but also benefit from European financial support.