ASAHI GLASS COMPANY

Cradle To Cradle Certification

One of our priorities is to maximize the energy efficiency of our glass production facilities. For our float glass furnaces, we take global approach-based research and the exchange of best practices within the AGC Group. AGC Glass Europe was the first glassmaker in Europe to introduce a combustion method that yields significant energy savings.

AGC Glass Europe is a leader in coated glasses. This type of glass directly helps to reduce energy consumption: super insulating coatings save energy used for heating, while solar control coatings save energy used for air conditioning.

AGC Glass Europe’s environmental policy has two main objectives:

• Develop new products that deliver improved environmental performance throughout their entire lifetime, including the recycling stage;
• Implement production processes that help to preserve the environment by using the cleanest technologies currently available.

The Philosophy Behind C2C

One of the guiding principles of the Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy is "Waste = Food". All materials that are 'end-of-life' in one product can be used to create another product. Products should be developed in systems where every ingredient is safe and beneficial – either biodegradable or fully recyclable into materials for subsequent product generations.

AGC Cradle to Cradle Brochure

BREEAM Certification

BREEAM® (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a green building certification developed by BRE Global (in the UK) in which the total performance of a building is compared to a set of specific criteria. There are multiple BREEAM® certification schemes for better assessing the environmental performance of a project depending on its location, function (office, retail, etc.) and type of construction (refurbishment, new construction, etc.). This document refers to BREEAM® International New Construction 2016 (BREEAM® International NC 2016), which applies to new constructions.

As of 2016, all new projects must comply with BREEAM® International NC 2016, which places more emphasis on product transparency, information disclosure and a better understanding of the life cycle of the building’s materials and components.

How does it work? BREEAM® International NC 2016 is divided into ten environmental sections, in each of which a range of assessment issues provide credits when the project meets the requirements. The assessment is conducted at the building level, meaning that achieving high score involves BREEAM® criteria being considered at each stage of the project (design, conception, construction, use). Building materials are part of this equation and can help you achieve higher scores.

How can AGC Glass Europe help you to gain BREEAM® credits?

In order to support our customers’ efforts to improve their building’s rating, AGC Glass Europe has joined forces with third-party BREEAM® assessors to analyse how AGC glass solutions could contribute within the certification system. Glass itself is an outstanding material for enhancing building performance and, directly or indirectly*, impacts four of the ten environmental sections (highlighted in green in the table below).

*Most of the contribution to assessment issues comes from the combination of glass and other building materials; together they can help impact the assessment issue.

AGC BREEAM Brochure