circularity in practice: designing long-lasting products for a lower-waste future
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At Aalberts integrated piping systems, circularity is not treated as a separate topic. It is embedded into our sustainability strategy and forms part of our wider approach to decarbonisation.
built to last
Our products are manufactured to high quality standards and are designed for long service lives. In many cases, products installed in buildings can remain in place for 30, 40 or even more than 50 years.
This long lifetime is one of the most important circularity benefits of our portfolio. Products that do not need frequent replacement help reduce material consumption, waste and the environmental impacts linked to manufacturing and transport.
We also support product lifetime extension where possible. For example, where rubber seals are the parts most likely to wear over time, spare parts are available so customers can maintain and extend the useful life of their products.
metals with lasting value
A large share of our products is made from metals such as copper, brass, carbon steel and stainless steel. These materials are highly recyclable and can be recycled repeatedly while retaining their technical properties. Many of our metals already contain over 50% recycled content. This supports the use of secondary materials and reduces the need for virgin raw materials.
closing the loop in manufacturing
Circularity also happens inside our factories. Production offcuts and swarf are collected through scrap take-off agreements and sent back into the raw material supply chain for recycling and re-melting.
This helps create a circular loop for valuable metal materials, reducing waste and keeping resources in use.
why local recycling often makes more sense
We do not currently operate a formal take-back scheme for all products. This is because metal recycling already has a strong, established infrastructure in many countries.
Metals have inherent financial value, which means they are rarely treated as waste. Installers and demolition contractors are already strongly incentivised to collect metal offcuts and old metal products and bring them to local scrap merchants.
Because Aalberts integrated piping systems sells products across many markets, transporting used products back to specific locations for recycling would often not make environmental or financial sense. In many cases, the most efficient circular route is to use the existing local scrap metal system, where the material value can be recovered close to where the product reaches end of life.
designed for reuse
Some of our product ranges go even further. Our VSH Tectite range, for example, is designed to be demountable and reusable. This allows products to be removed and used again in another part of a building or on another project, supporting direct reuse before recycling is even needed.
working together across the value chain
Circularity cannot be achieved by one company alone. It requires collaboration across the full value chain, from raw material suppliers and manufacturers to installers, building owners, demolition partners and recyclers.
At Aalberts integrated piping systems, we will continue working with our partners to seize opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, increase recycled content and design products that support a more circular built environment.
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