Sustainability / ESG
Forests and wood capture and stores significant amounts of carbon (sequestration) and at Byggma the good management of this resource is all about creating high quality products that store carbon for many decades. In several of our operations, the contributions to carbon storage significantly outweigh the carbon footprint from our operations.
At Byggma, we have a tradition of working on productivity and continuous improvement. Sustainability is in many ways a progression of this work. In terms of sustainability and through the involvement of a committed team of employees and partners, Byggma will continue to implement efficient use of resources, while also securing jobs and ensuring the future of a company that is committed to creating value for society. The following are some of the projects developed in 2023.
Byggma
Worldfavor
Byggma has invested in a tool to meet the requirements in the Norwegian Transparency Act (Åpenhetsloven). Byggma’s vendors have filled out questionnaires to map out risks and opportunities in the value chain.
A different module in Worldfavor covers sustainability data for the various companies in Byggma group. The system will help standardising and consolidating data for the companies and the group. We are now in the implementing phase and will use this system for the 2023 reporting. Then we will perform a GAP analysis against the requirements in CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) from 2024.
Uldal
Change to LED lightbulbs
In 2022 we used 409,000 kWh on lighting in the factory. In 2023 we have swapped from traditional to LED light bulbs that consume 50% less electricity and last much longer before the bulbs must be replaced.
Forestia
Packaging
Our products must be packaged in a way that ensures that they arrive undamaged at our customers’ sites with normal handling. We have performed transportation tests to ensure this. Packaging is at the same time a problem in the form of waste at building sites and extra weight to be transported.
In Q4 2023 Forestia has completed its project concerning less use of particle boards as packaging for Walls 2 Paint. The packaging line is now converted to replace particle board with cardboard packaging. First it is enabled for 2930 mm length which makes up 85 % of the volume.
The conversion will realise an annual weight reduction of ca. 650 tonnes of packaging for Walls 2 Paint. This equals an annual reduction of ca. 11.0 tonnes CO2-equivalents yearly. Additionally, it means an annual reduction of ca. 680 tonnes to handle at the building sites.
Before | After |
Logistics
The new logistics hub at Forestia was completed in Q4 2022. Byggform was merged with Forestia in 2023 and the new hub has become vital regarding bulk loading, transportation optimisation and to ensure that we reach satisfactory fill grades on trucks going out of Forestia. This reduces emissions from transportation, and it is a good project financially. The feedback from customers is positive and they appreciate the solutions with bulk loading of self-produced chipboard and traded OSB and plywood and this leads to increased sales.
Waste management
Waste is wasteful and we will through procurement and internal operations reduce the scope of waste from our production and activities. Forestia is a member of Grønt Punkt Norge who contributes to a high degree of recycling of our waste. In 2022 and 2023 we had a sorting degree of ca. 54 % which we are not happy with. We aim to increase the sorting degree in 2024. In Q4, Forestia has organized its waste streams and found several sortable fractions. These fractions will now be put into a system with their own containers.
Masonite Beams
New project – Build for the future – Sustainable foundation walls
We will through this project evaluate various basic principles for foundation walls. Today’s foundation walls of concrete for small houses can stand for up to 40 % of the building’s CO2 emissions. In the project one looks at the advantage of building foundation walls with more wood based materials but using less material.
Change to electric vehicles in Rundvik
In the process of reducing our climate footprint, we have a target of changing from fossil fuel to electric vehicles. Now we have seven service cars in place and have also invested in an electric side loader for the production.