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The company detailed its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its insulation, roofing, and fibreglass building products in its ninth annual sustainability report.
“We are proud of what we accomplished this past year, further reducing our environmental footprint and expanding our positive ‘handprint’ by introducing new solutions to the challenges of climate change, energy consumption, and infrastructure development,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, company vice president and chief sustainability officer. The company today “operates with 46 percent less absolute greenhouse gas emissions than our peak in 2007, and we are developing ways to make additional reductions.”
The report also highlights the company’s global efforts to improve sustainability. Through 2014, OC has reduced energy use overall by 10 to 12 percent from 2010 levels, with a goal of cutting it by 20 percent by 2020. Greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced to 34 percent of previous 2010 levels, with a goal of reducing them to 20 percent. Toxic air emissions have been reduced to 65 percent of previous levels, with a goal of getting them down to 50 percent.
The amount of waste sent to landfills has been cut by 14 percent from 2010 levels, with a goal of cutting them by 70 percent, and water consumption has been reduced by 29 percent from previous levels, with a goal of cutting it by 35 percent.
Other progress included recycling 2.4 billion pounds of worn-out roofing shingles, a 33 percent increase from 2013, and recycling 1.3 billion pounds of glass, a 15 percent increase year-over-year.
OC also said its report findings and goals are consistent with Global Reporting Initiative guidelines, a framework set internationally for reporting economic, environmental, and social dimensions of an organization’s activities, products, and services.