Isover continues its sustainability journey with water saving initiative at Runcorn facility

Isover, part of Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions and a leading insulation provider continues to make progress in its journey towards water sustainability through a new water saving initiative at its Runcorn-based facility.

Indeed, the new developments, including the installation of state-of-the-art water meters and monitoring technologies, are being deployed throughout the facility to identify water loss at each stage of the production process.

These advancements will enable precise water consumption tracking, paving the way for a substantial reduction in annual water usage.

Sustainability Champion for Isover Runcorn, Matt Hill, who spearheaded the initiative, commented: "Reducing water consumption in our production processes is central to our sustainability journey at Isover. Through investments such as these we're not only reducing our environmental impact but also demonstrating our unwavering commitment to building a more sustainable future.”

The proactive investigation into water submeters across the site revealed opportunities for alignment with production processes, recognising the critical importance of enhancing water management practices throughout the site. Matt’s successful bid to secure support from the Saint-Gobain Water Fund has boosted Isover Runcorn's water conservation initiatives. Once fully commissioned the site will have live visibility of water consumption to help slash its annual usage by an estimated 30 million litres.

Matt added: “By 2023, we had reduced our total water withdrawal by 22% compared to 2017, and thanks to these continuing improvements, we have already further reduced this by more than 20% in 2024 compared to 2023.

“Through this initiative, we’ll be reducing water consumption at our Runcorn site by 30%, saving a staggering 30 million litres of water throughout the production process, year after year. By investing in innovative solutions and best practices such as these, we’re continuing on our journey towards net zero by 2050, looking to achieve our targets sooner and demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and resource utilisation."

The developments have been enhanced following a grant from the Saint-Gobain Water Fund, a global initiative which aims to encourage businesses within the group to reduce environmental impact. Isover’s strategy to leverage the water fund comprises four key initiatives, each designed to enhance water management effectively; one being improving process tracking by installing new meters to provide a comprehensive overview of water usage. Additionally, Isover aims to service and recalibrate flowmeters to determine recycled water rates accurately.

The insulation manufacturer’s next steps involve integrating the main incoming water meters and three new sub-meters with existing online energy monitoring software, enabling remote monitoring and data recording for real-time insights. Furthermore, Isover plans to calculate a site water balance to validate the collected data and confirm future reduction opportunities.

Aligned with the values of the Saint-Gobain Group, Isover is actively pursuing sustainable innovation and environmental stewardship, leveraging initiatives like the Saint-Gobain Water Fund to make substantial contributions to global water sustainability.

For more information about, Isover and its sustainability initiatives, please visit www.isover.co.uk/sustainability.