The use phase is an important part of the lifecycle of a building¹. The most efficient way to reduce operational emissions is to offer performance products to optimize the energy consumption once the building is used. The lesser energy is consumed, the lesser energy is produced, the lesser emissions are generated. We develop high performance products which meet high requirements due to thermal insulation, lasting and low maintainance, energy performance, comfortand acoustics. 

Aluminium as material

Rooted in more than 70 years of experience in technology and innovation, WICONA is committed to strengthening the viability of its customers and communities, shaping a sustainable future through innovative aluminium solutions. Aluminium's properties of flexibility, lightness and strength make it the ideal material for almost any design challenge! It also possesses other highly sought-after qualities:

• Healthy

It does not emit dust, vapor or particles, and contact with this material does not pose any toxicity problems.

• Non-flammable

When it reaches its melting point in the event of fire (around 650°C), it does not give off any flammable gases or vapors.

• Easy to maintain

Due to its durability and resistance to surface treatments, regular cleaning with a neutral detergent followed by rinsing with water is enough.

Aluminium has characteristics that make it an environmentally friendly metal: abundant, indefinitely recyclable and therefore durable. Its quality and material properties are never lost. In addition, aluminum remelting uses only 5% of the energy required to produce primary aluminium.
To know more: www.hydro.com/aluminium

Recycled and low carbon aluminium

Fulfilling the deeply entrenched idea of sustainability in a unique way, is the use of recycled and low-carbon aluminium from Hydro. Hydro CIRCAL is a range of prime quality aluminium made with a minimum of 75% recycled, post-consumer scrap. Hydro CIRCAL has a carbon footprint among the lowest in the world: 2.3 kg C02 per kilo of aluminium. Hydro REDUXA® is our low carbon aluminium range, produced with renewable energy from Hydro. The threshold of four kilograms of C02 per kilogram of aluminium.

Circular product design based on Cradle to cradle-philosophy

It all starts at the very beginning – the design process. All our new products are designed for the circular life cycle and follows the C2C principles, which means that products are made from known components that are easy to disassemble, in order to create new products (a process called “up-cycling”) in both the biological and technical cycles. With recycled polyamide, we are working towards 100% recyclable windows.

Our recyclable and circular materials and products come with EPDs and meet international norms and regulations, like Breeam, Leed, DNGB and similar building certifications. 

We believe that to be truly sustainable, we must look to a world beyond four walls and work to make it a reality – starting today. That´s why we go beyond simply world-class low-carbon materials, to run every part of our business as sustainably as possible.

WICONA has a holistic approach to sustainability and act within 3 main areas:

• Product: We go beyond materials to reduce the carbon emission in the use phase.
• Company: We go beyond products to reduce the upfront and embodied emissions.
• Society: We go beyond our company to see the bigger picture.

¹WGBC (2019). Op. cit.