Sustainability is reuse: giving materials a second life

Acting for the good of the planet means making sustainability matter. For over a decade, laminate manufacturer Trespa has been taking this approach to consumption and emissions reduction, reuse, and the circular economy by limiting the amount of waste it produces. The objectives and strategies it has developed are based on how much each phase of the laminate manufacturing process impacts on the environment.

According to the firm’s 2022 Position Paper, the goals to be achieved by 2026 include a 50% reduction in CO₂ emissions, an 8% reduction in primary energy requirements, and a 5% reduction of its water footprint. Through these and other strategies, Trespa aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. A fundamental part of the process is improving life cycle analysis (LCA) models of both suppliers and their own factory.

Trespa has based its sustainability strategy on three key concepts: common sense, a fact- and data-based approach, and integrating the planning cycle with activity reviews. This last point, in particular, involves defining the company’s priorities on the basis of the results of LCA studies and realistic objectives. All sustainability initiatives have been integrated into the planning and activity review cycle.

Trespa Second Life

Extending the life span of a product or material means giving them a second life after their first use, making sustainability a reality. It’s through the Trespa Second Life program that, for a few years now, this manufacturer of HPL cladding, decorative façades, and interior finishes achieved a circular economy, reusing cladding panels that would otherwise have been destroyed. The program therefore also means less use of new natural resources, less energy consumption, and reduced waste.

Trespa’s Second Life program even has examples in sporting goods and furniture, both industries that might seem a very long way from construction but give Trespa® Meteon® panels a much longer life cycle than otherwise. In the first case, scrapped façade panels are used to make a one-of-a-kind bicycle, while, in the second, a chair.

For more information: www.trespa.com

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