Saint-Gobain Glass Earns Double Recognition for Pioneering Sustainability and Circular Innovation at Glass Focus Awards
- Glass Magazine
- Nov 20
- 2 min read
Saint-Gobain Glass has reaffirmed its leadership in sustainable glass manufacturing after winning two major honours—Design of the Year and Sustainable Practice—at this year’s Glass Focus Awards, hosted by British Glass. The dual victory underlines the company’s long-standing commitment to circularity, low-carbon solutions and responsible development across the built environment.
The Design of the Year award was granted for the ambitious redevelopment of 30 Duke Street, the UK’s first commercial refurbishment to implement Glass Forever, Saint-Gobain Glass’s flagship circular-economy programme. In this landmark project, glass extracted from the building’s original façade is being processed and remanufactured into high-performance, lower-carbon flat glass to be reinstalled as part of the extensive £75 million renovation. This approach not only preserves valuable material but also contributes to dramatic reductions in embodied and operational carbon, positioning the building as a leading example of sustainable commercial retrofit.
The company’s second award—Sustainable Practice—celebrates the long-term environmental impact of the Glass Forever initiative. Since its introduction in 2001, the programme has recovered close to one million tonnes of flat glass. This has helped eliminate the need for around 1.2 million tonnes of virgin raw materials and prevented an estimated 700,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Through strong collaboration with partners across glazing, construction and deconstruction sectors, Saint-Gobain Glass has become a driving force in closing the loop on flat glass waste throughout the UK. The company’s double win came after being shortlisted in four categories overall, underscoring its wide influence across sustainability, innovation, manufacturing responsibility, and health and safety in the glass industry. The awards ceremony was held on 20 November 2025 at the Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly, gathering organisations from across the UK to celebrate progress in glass manufacturing and design.