Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, part of the NSG Group, has pioneered a new glass range with 50% less embodied carbon when compared to standard float glass* ‒ representing the lowest carbon product of its kind on the market.
The manufacturer introduces Pilkington Mirai™ as four in five (79%) architects say clients are more concerned about the embodied carbon of building products than they were five years ago, according to a new study by the glassmaker**.
Pilkington Mirai™ can be offered as a low carbon alternative to regular float glass, with no difference in performance, quality, or aesthetic appearance. It’s been pioneered using a combination of alternative fuel, high recycled glass content, and green electricity sources.
The name Mirai, meaning 'future' in Japanese, was chosen to mark the start of the next generation of low carbon glass products.
Kristian Chalmers, Global Strategic Commercial Manager at the NSG Group, said: “The launch of Pilkington Mirai™ represents the beginning of an exciting journey. The new range will be instrumental in providing architects with the solutions they need for reducing the carbon intensity of their projects.
“We aim to expand our offering through further collaboration and technological advancements in the near future on our journey towards achieving carbon neutrality.”
Pilkington Mirai™ is available in various thicknesses, for uncoated and coated specifications, as well as having the ability to be laminated.
The market leading glass can be combined with other high-performance low emissivity, solar control, and acoustic coatings in the Pilkington product family*** ‒ enabling building owners and design professionals to proactively reduce embodied carbon while meeting other building performance and compliance requirements.
The glassmaker also has Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for selected glass ranges, to provide building designers with greater transparency over the carbon lifecycle of building materials.
Dave Dalton, Chief Executive at industry body British Glass, said: “Pilkington UK’s new low carbon glass is an exemplar for what can be achieved when a manufacturer collaborates with its partners and innovates. Driving sustainability in the built environment represents a huge challenge, but products like this will make an important contribution in how we tackle decarbonisation across the glass supply chain.”
Aston Fuller, General Manager at Glass Futures, an organisation researching innovative new solutions and technologies to help the global glass industry to create greener products, said: “We work collaboratively with our members to complete ground breaking trials and demonstrate the feasibility of industrial scale alternative low carbon fuels like hydrogen and biofuel. To see the application of this technology and cut half of the embodied carbon of glass is a major technical achievement, with an abundance of research well underway on how the industry can ultimately cut all carbon ready for 2050.”
Sustainability in glassmaking
The company’s ambition is to work together to combat climate change, strive for social equality, and to protect the environment.
Last year, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) re-certified the NSG Group’s increased ambition aims to reduce its emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.
The company further aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and continues to work proactively to make a positive impact on the environment through activities such as its world-first proof-of-concept trials of alternative fuels in glass making. This specific program led to the development of Pilkington Mirai™.
Further initiatives include a focus on ensuring a sustainable supply chain via the introduction of a new Supply Chain Charter, which outlines eight key areas of environmental and social protection for suppliers to demonstrate evidence towards achieving. It’s also become a member of the SPP (Sustainable Procurement Pledge) League of Champions, which aims to unite the efforts of procurement leaders in reaching the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For more information, visit: www.pilkington.co.uk/mirai
*Compared with the company’s standard 4 mm Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear (European baseline). EPD in progress.
**Research based on polling of 100 architects specialising in residential projects, aged 21+ in England and Wales, carried out independently through research agency Censuswide, between the 13th and 17th of July 2023.
***For example, Pilkington Mirai Suncool™, Pilkington Mirai Optitherm™ S1 Plus, Pilkington Mirai Optilam™, or Pilkington Mirai Optiphon™