Repair-first strategy yields CO2 savings for Autoglass

The latest Autoglass Responsible Business Insights Report revealed that the company avoided the creation of more than 2,500 tonnes of glass waste in 2023 through its repair-first strategy.

Last year it repaired rather than replaced 160,894 windscreens. Based on 16kg for the average weight of a windscreen, that means the firm avoided the creation of 2,574 tonnes of waste.

Further, Belron Group’s new Product Carbon Footprint tool calculated that a windscreen repair results in 16.4kg CO2 emissions compared to 82.3kg CO2 to replace it. Therefore, repairing rather than replacing results in 80% less emissions.

Meanwhile, Autoglass is also electrifying its fleet of vehicles and by the end of 2023, 69% of the company car fleet was fully electric, up from 35% in 2022.

It is also focusing on reuse, recycling, and recovery and despite an increase in work volume last year the company managed to divert 99% of its waste from landfill, up by about four per cent from 2022. It also achieved a 16.4% reduction in kilograms of waste produced per vehicle glass job and wholesale unit sold.

Repair-first strategy

These steps are in support of Belron Group’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2050.

Amy Shuffleton, head of responsible business and internal communications at Autoglass said: “Over the past year we have been reviewing our internal movements of glass to identify where we can create less waste, reduce our emissions and greater efficiency within our network. Where possible, we always ensure that our customers understand the benefits of repairing a windscreen and encourage them to identify any windscreen chips early on before they turn into a crack.

“We are committed to doing the right thing by all our stakeholders, and doing business in a responsible way is at the heart of what we do.  Although we have made some significant strides in sustainability as a business, we continue to set ourselves ambitious goals. We want to ensure that our daily efforts are geared towards embracing greater responsibility and showcasing how businesses can be a driving force for positive change for the planet and society.”