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Sustainability Sustainability remains an important topic. It is not considered something that ‘might be good to do’ anymore, it is starting to be on top of most companies’ agendas. MUCH MORE THAN JUST CARBON EMISSION REDUCTION 18 www.thefis.org T HIS is partly driven by the UK Government, which was the first government to commit to a net zero target by 2050, but is also driven by the clients, contractors, innovative product manufacturers, and architects keen to be market leaders. Willmott Dixon, for example, published its ‘Now or never – 2030 sustainable development strategy’ in which they lay out their ambitions for all their new buildings and major refurbishments to: • achieve net zero operational carbon; • be future-climate ready and optimise the users’ health and wellbeing; and • be net zero in embodied carbon. Willmott Dixon has also committed to working with its supply chain to achieve net zero operational carbon. Many of the tier 1 contractors have started to measure their carbon footprint and have come to realise that a big part of it is generated by their supply chain. The need to collaborate up and down the supply chain is, therefore, vitally important. While sustainability for manufacturers is often associated with carbon emission reduction, ‘sustainability’ can mean a number of things. It can relate to aspects, such as: resource efficiency, adaptability/flexibility, health and wellbeing and biophilic design. Examples of these are provided in the sections below. ‘Circular economy’ has become a real buzzphrase in the past two years. There is a realisation that we need to make more with less. With the cost of materials and energy going up and global supply chain models being impacted by changes in the geopolitics of certain parts of the world, we need to start thinking seriously about what products we use and how we use them. Products that can be continuously recycled into something new can have a real benefit on the use of our finite resources, especially if they can, in turn, be recycled further. Exhibition carpets become acoustic felt panels Anna Dawson, Global Sales andMarketing Manager at Soundtect, explains how their acoustic products are contributing to the circular economy. The acoustic products, made with 70% recycled PET, can be used to improve sound quality anywhere from restaurants, hotels, shops, offices, schools, universities, clinics and domestic environments. Soundtect products can be wall-mounted or used to create floating ceilings or hanging partitions to absorb sound and enhance sound quality.. In terms of sustainability, Soundtect products tick quite a few boxes. In addition to providing a more comfortable environment for occupants by improving the acoustic performances of the space they are used in, they are also lowVOC and provide a key example of the circular economy: Create, reuse, refurbish, recreate, refurbish . Indeed, Soundtect products start life as plastic bottles, which are then turned into carpets for exhibition halls before being transformed into highly-efficient acoustic felt panels. The panels can, in turn, be recycled when not needed anymore. The are hypoallergenic and non-toxic products and are continually tested to British and European standards for both fire and acoustics to ensure they maintain the highest level of quality and safety. Because the original carpet fibres are already fireproof, this element is integral to the product. www.soundtect.com Circular products that can adapt to the changing taste of tenants by changing appearances or by changing the location of partitions without the need to get a brand-new Flavie Lowres, FIS Sustainability Champion Floating celling by Soundtect