Saint-Gobain Glass has become the first glass manufacturer in the UK to be awarded the coveted BES 6001 accreditation “Very Good” standard for its responsible sourcing of materials.
The award, which was made after independent assessment by BSI, the awarding body, states that the company operates within strict standards of supply chain management and environmental and social responsibility when managing relationships with suppliers.
Dave Redford, Purchasing Manager, said: “Our customers know that we have always taken our environmental responsibilities very seriously and this accreditation is one more way of proving our dedication to the responsible sourcing of our products.
“It shows that we have sourced our constituent materials responsibly as well as having good internal auditing of other factors such as legal compliance, training, waste management and water usage. We are very proud to be the first UK glass manufacturer to gain this accreditation.
Responsible sourcing is recognised within the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) as well as other established sustainability assessment methodologies, counting towards the credits required to assess the code level of a building. The standard also requires an organisation to show good management of greenhouse gas emissions, transport impacts and the impact on employment and the local community. On responsible sourcing, it requires the holder to engage with its own supply chain partners to deliver sustainable policies of their own.
The accreditation currently covers all the products made at the SGGUK plant in Eggborough, East Yorkshire. However, the company does not intend to stop there with phase 2 soon to get underway to establish accreditation for the products brought in from its other European plants.
Dave continued, “Over the last few years, we have instigated a number of initiatives to enhance our responsible approach. These have included programmes to reduce water consumption, emissions to the atmosphere, non-recoverable waste and energy consumption. Taking a proactive approach to sustainability has always been a core concern for us and effectively aligns ourselves with the Saint-Gobain Group’s direction on responsible sourcing.
SGGUK is also the first glass manufacturer to have subjected its products to a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), in accordance with international standards. Dave comments, “Thanks to the LCA, SGGUK are fully aware of the environmental impacts of their products and where they appear during the life cycle.
"The LCA is verified by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), ensuring the quality and reliability of the results. This is another example of how we are leading the way in delivering high-performance solutions to market whilst minimising our impact on the environment.”