KR Cladding are advancing on their circular economic journey of repurposing PIR board.

This waste is found within disused composite cladding panels when removed from buildings being repaired, refurbished or demolished, with landfill as the only known disposal method. KR Cladding have been developing a circular solution, as rigid insulation board for use in construction projects between cavity walls, and floor and roof joists, as well as offcuts being marketed to the fishing industry to insulate fishing vessel refrigeration areas.

KR Cladding are due to commence phase 2 of this project in January 2022, launching as “KRBon Reduction”, thanks to £130,250 of funding received from Zero Waste Scotland’s, Circular Economy Investment Fund which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. This will allow the creation of a repurposing facility for the PIR board, employment of a Product Development Manager and a full time Cladding Panel Separator, in addition to the purchase of specialist cutting equipment. A marketing campaign, launching in January 2022, aims to increase the volume of PIR panels being acquired from businesses generating this waste and to raise the profile of the “KRBon Reduction” project and products to boost sales and highlight the benefits of this circular economic solution over 5 years, such as:

• 7,736Tonnes of CO2eq prevented– the equivalent of removing 4,460 cars from UK roads
• 675 new homes could be insulated with an estimated cost saving of up to £1.88 million pounds
• 2,498 tons of waste diverted from landfill, the equivalent of 8 Olympic Swimming Pools

KR Cladding are still exploring the potential re-use options for the reclaimed steel skins such as permanent and temporary fencing or for use in peat restoration projects to block furrow ends to assist with water retention, so this material will be stored on KR Cladding’s site for future development.

Andrew Dickson, Manager for Business Development, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “This initiative from KR Cladding is a fantastic example of maximising the value of existing resources. All too often, we label old or unused materials as waste, and it ends up in landfill. However, in a more circular economy, materials are fed back into the production cycle. As a nation, we must dramatically reduce our consumption of raw materials if we want to play our part in combatting climate change. Zero Waste Scotland is proud to support KR Cladding in their innovation journey towards becoming circular.”

KR Group Scotland are already a lean business who follow the 5S standard to reduce waste and are continually reviewing current processes to reduce waste further, such as looking in to cling wrap (used to secure material loads) that is not only recyclable but also made from recycled content, in addition to utilising a service offered by Energy Saving Trust to review their vehicle fleet to establish if green options are available.

If you can supply us with used cladding panels, or are interested in purchasing reclaimed PIR boards, please get in touch via info@krgrp.co.uk or call 01358 788907.