Wavin’s purpose is building healthy, sustainable environments and this is reflected through the company’s actions. Wavin’s sustainability journey began long before sustainability became mainstream for businesses. In the 1990’s Wavin became the first in the industry to use recyclate and the journey has continued as the company evolves and looks towards the future. 

The Wavin sustainability promises are based on four pillars: safe and efficient water, better sanitation and hygiene, climate-resilient cities and better building performance. Each pillar involves innovation and improving efficiency, quality and durability of our production processes and the value chain.

Michael O'Donohoe, Country Director Wavin and Sadhbh Burt Fitzgerald of the Bí Urban Rain Garden Project.

At Wavin Ireland the sustainability promise extends across products, processes and community involvement. Soon, we will announce the extensive work we have been doing around our Environmental Product Declaration systems and look forward to sharing that news.

In recent years, new product introductions that reflect our commitment to sustainability include:

AS+  An innovative wastewater system designed to outperform all other systems on the market in terms of reducing noise levels. Wavin AS+ is the ideal solution for tackling noise pollution in multi-occupancy developments, such as apartments, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, libraries and offices.  

Wavin AS+ achieves optimal reduction of airborne sound due to its high mass and wall thickness, and of structure-borne sound thanks to the low elastic-modulus of its flexible PP material and the specially designed brackets. Wavin.ie/as-plus

TreeTanks. Provides solutions to support climate resilient cities allowing trees to flourish in urban environments. The TreeTank ensures trees can be easily and effectively integrated into urban areas without disrupting vital infrastructure.

Delivering nutrients and water to trees, the product allows for the greening up and cooling of cityscapes, vital as our cities manage the challenge of increasing temperatures.

The cooling effect of trees is not just important generally in an urban environment but can also have a direct impact on individual buildings. Studies have shown that trees properly planted around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 20-50%. Wavin.ie/tree-tank

Innovation. In terms of systems innovation, Wavin developed Recycore Technology, an innovative and state-of-the-art manufacturing process developed to reduce the use of virgin materials by using at least 50% recycled content yet ensuring the same high performance and handling characteristics that customers of its virgin products have come to expect.

PVC-U pipes developed with Recycore® Technology consist of three-layer pipes – a dark middle layer of at least 50% recyclate, and virgin material outer layers. The optimal amount of recycled plastic, combined with its proven environmental benefits, make the pipes an excellent choice in achieving environmental gains through sustainable procurement. 

With the success of Recycore in Soil and sewer pipes Wavin has now extended Recycore technology to gutter and gutter downpipes – containing a minimum of 55% of recycled PVC-U and will be rolling out across profiles, starting with RoundLine. Wavin.ie/rainwater

RootSeal Technology.

Continuing on the path of sustainable innovation, RootSeal repels tree roots which solves a number of challenges for architects, specifiers, developers and planners.

RootSeal Technology gives drainage systems enhanced protection by using a naturally-sourced inhibitor to harmlessly repel tree roots and to reduce the risk of damage and upheaval.  It also removes the disruption and environmental cost of repairing or replacing drainage systems damaged by tree root ingress  and is being rolled out across our sewer range – look out for the green seal. Wavin.ie/rootseal

Renewable energy

In December last year (2022), Wavin Ireland announced that it had signed the first supplier-led renewable energy CPPA in Ireland with energy supplier Flogas Enterprise. 

Electricity generated by wind farms will be used on-site at Wavin in Balbriggan as a key part of progressing its sustainability journey. Demand for renewable CPPAs is set to grow rapidly in Ireland over the next few years as companies look to reduce their carbon footprint and seek budget certainty given the last 12 months of extremely volatile energy prices. 

Community initiatives

Since its establishment in Balbriggan in the late 1950s, Wavin has been an active supporter of community initiatives. In 2022, we further extended our community support programme with support for the Irish Institute of Music and Song (IIMS) in Balbriggan.

Sustainability is at the heart of the development and Wavin AquaCell units have been supplied to facilitate stormwater management within the site. A key element of this is a sustainable drainage system to minimise the impact of excess rainwater into the area’s local drainage network. 

The area in which the tank is situated will be used as an out-door mini-amphitheatre, surrounded by tiered grass areas creating a natural outdoor performance space.

Wavin Ireland’s contribution is a key element of the development, both through our technical expertise and advice and the products themselves.  As a result the IIMS plans to name this out-door area ‘the Wavin Amphitheatre’.

Another sustainability project which Wavin supports is Bí Urban, a social enterprise in Dublin’s North-West inner city. Bi Urban’s Rain Garden project harvests rainwater to create little oases in the urban landscape.

Wavin is providing the pipes to allow these rain gardens to function by allowing roof top rain water run-off to create mini gardens as a nature-based solution to address multiple urban issues, which are being monitored by UCD’s Civil Engineering faculty.

Last year (2022) Guaranteed Irish sought the support of Wavin and other members of the organisation in establishing the Guaranteed Irish Forest, an initiative that aims to encourage climate action engagement and increase biodiversity.

Guaranteed Irish aligns its values with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which are the overarching goals that guide us all to a sustainable future. 

Wavin aligns our business’ sustainability strategy with these same goals. The Guaranteed Irish Forest initiative underlines our commitment to these goals and is a legacy project that we are proud to support and to play our part in its creation.

Allied to Wavin's continual product innovation, which delivers solutions to combat the challenges of climate change and allows nature to thrive within the built environment, these initiatives provide for healthier and more sustainable environments. 

Author: Michael O’Donohoe is country director for Wavin Ireland. If you have a project you would like to discuss, contact: projects.ie@wavin.com