Environmental Product Declaration for Blowing Wool, Mineral Wool and Wood Wool products.
Find your EPDKnauf Insulation is launching company-wide sustainable building standards for its new sites following the certification of its Illange plant offices in France by the independent Green Building System Haute Qualité Environnementale* (HQE).
Philippe Coune, Knauf Insulation Western Europe’s Sustainability Manager, said the certification underlined Knauf Insulation’s sustainability strategy commitment to Create Better Buildings.
“Knauf Insulation's raison d'être is making buildings more sustainable by reducing energy use and greenhouse gases as well as creating buildings that enhance well-being and comfort,” he said.
“The HQE certification for Illange demonstrates that we are walking the talk when it comes to making our own buildings fit for the future and providing environments that contribute to the well-being of people who use them.”
The HQE certification of Illange covers 1,365 square metres of ground level office space at the plant including the production offices, maintenance hall, production laboratory and canteen. In three key areas of the HQE certification — quality of life, lower environmental impact and economic performance — the premises were awarded the level of très performant (high performance).
The certification is recognition of the work of Knauf Insulation’s plant team at Illange supported by the company’s Central teams in Belgium. The teams worked for over a year to ensure the plant achieved the standards of HQE auditors.
Nadège Herlet, Knauf Insulation’s Product Stewardship Manager, who coordinated the certification project, said: “HQE is significant because it is a third-party audited voluntary certification that demands standards of sustainability that are well above legal requirements.
“Industrial buildings with HQE are rare in our industry and to achieve this certification our teams worked hard to ensure the site met strict HQE standards and provided detailed data proof points in terms of environmental impact, working conditions, environmental performance and sustainable management.”
Marc de Sainte Foy, Knauf Insulation Western Europe’s Market Manager, who also helped drive the project, said that to achieve the HQE, Illange site had to demonstrate excellence in a wide range of well-being areas including interior air quality, water quality, acoustic and visual comfort, accessibility and services.
The plant also achieved strong ratings in the HQE assessment areas of energy and water use, biodiversity, waste management and climate change impact as well as its sustainable management.
Illange now plans to apply for a second certification, OsmoZ, a people-focused system that sets high standards for work environments, building health, interior comfort and life-work quality.
The French plant is only the second Knauf Insulation site in Europe to receive green building certification after the company’s Slovenian Experience Center at Škofja Loka was awarded DGNB Platinum in 2019.
In addition to the latest low environmental impact manufacturing processes, Illange features 7.5 hectares of dedicated green space for plants, birds and insect life as well as Knauf Insulation’s Urbanscape Green Roof System.
• To understand how Knauf Insulation is committed to Create Better Buildings, visit our For A Better World site here.
*High Environmental Quality
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