Climate Resilience & Decarbonization
Cities worldwide are under stress with population growth, aging infrastructure, flooding, droughts, pollution and sinking land. Orbia provides resilient and sustainable urban infrastructure solutions to address systemic risks, along with low-carbon and circular products that contribute to resiliency and decarbonization globally.
In addition to our solutions, Orbia is a partner of the Resilient Cities Network. Through our businesses Wavin, Netafim and Dura-Line, we are developing innovative solutions for transportation infrastructure, water supply, urban food systems, and connectivity that can enhance urban quality of life.
Our contributions to the SDGs:
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How Orbia is making a difference:
Rainwater to foster nature in cities
With the acquisition of MetroPolder, Wavin adds specific expertise and solutions for smart water management in cities. The Dutch startup is a forerunner in the field of smart water storage, leveraging rainwater for cooling, growing, and fostering nature within the city through green roofs and walls. The acquisition brings Wavin closer to its goal of closing the water cycle in cities and making cities future-proof.
Advancing battery performance and recycling
The development of next-generation electrolyte additives and co-solvents under the Koflyte® brand, the acquisition of battery tech start-up Silatronix and investment in Ascend Elements, a closed-loop lithium-ion battery recycler, position Koura to develop and deploy the technologies needed to improve battery efficiency and performance during use and optimize post use Li-ion battery recycling across the globe. This is key to enabling technology in the transition to cleaner sources of energy.
Indoor climate solutions for low-carbon living
Sentio Indoor Climate Control system delivers heating and cooling via underfloor pipes, avoiding the need for air conditioning or other heating installations. Residents can control apartment temperatures using an app, saving up to 21% of energy by using zone control, up to 20% by using underfloor heating instead of radiators and up to 34% in cooling versus air conditioning.
Future-fit PVC
To create a future that’s fit for the next generation, we need a future-fit next generation of PVC. In 2021, Vestolit marked a milestone with the incorporation of bio-based (by balance mass approach) ethylene in vinyl chloride production. The feedstocks’ origin is rapeseed oil and used cooking oil. Both feedstocks integrate principles of circularity and do not compete with food production. This form of ethylene enables a 50% reduction in the carbon footprint of PVC compared to conventional fossil-fuel-based PVC.
Greening cities while replenishing groundwater
Wavin’s AquaCell is an effective solution for excessive rainfall made from 100% recycled material. It reduces flood risk and enables cost-effective management of the water environment. In addition, Q-bic Plus, geo-cellular modular plastic units, also part of our stormwater management solutions range can be applied as TreeTanks to support tree growth in urban environments. While greening up and cooling cityscapes, TreeTanks prevent the ground from compacting, compensating for groundwater depletion and reducing flooding.
Climate-friendly refrigerants
Koura has created a new class of refrigerant that achieves both high performance and significantly lower global warming potential (GWP) than current materials. For example, within the portfolio, is Klea® 473A, for use in ultra-low temperature refrigeration applications such as bio-medical storage, has a GWP of 1,830. This is 85% lower than a comparable refrigerant, R-23, which has a GWP of 14,800. And, Klea® 456A, which presents an alternative to R-134a for automotive air conditioning systems, has a GWP 46% lower when compared to R-134a.
A smarter drainage system
Through a new partnership with StormHarvester, a leader in automated monitoring and control of drainage infrastructure, Wavin is now offering cities the Wavin StormHarvester system: an all-in-one-tank rainwater reuse and flood drainage system run on smart weather forecasting technology.
A 100% recycled gully to prevent flooding in cities
Wavin’s Tegra street gully is a 360˚ water trap and self-cleaning filter that ensures optimal surface water drainage. It is made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and is fully recyclable. The smart design captures debris to avoid clogging the underlying water management system. This sustainably manufactured storm drain offers the best filtration system and the largest dirt collection capacity, and its low weight makes it the easiest to install and maintain.
INFINITUDE™ PVC
As part of the larger PVC-IN-MOTION project pioneered by Vestolit, the INFINITUDE vinyl compound series formulated and manufactured by sister business Alphagary offers a second life for plastics that have been discarded. This new series of PVC compounds are available in natural base or pre-colored and are designed for both molding and extrusion applications.
Bio-based TPE compounds
The new EVOPRENE® ECO 1000 series is formulated with 25% bio-based raw materials, reducing reliance on traditional fossil-based raw materials. Comparing it against a compound formulated with traditional fossil-based raw materials, Alphagary found consistent mechanical properties, good heat resistance, and consistent flow characteristics and surface finish compared with traditionally formulated compounds.
Greening propellants
Koura supplies over 70% of the fluorine-based medical propellants used in the metered dose inhalers (MDIs) that ensure millions of asthma patients worldwide can breathe easily. In 2019, Koura introduced Zephex® 152a, a new propellant that delivers more than 90% reduction in global warming potential (GWP) for pressurized MDIs, as compared to current offerings.
Energy-efficient heating alternative
Calefa units provide central heating and hot water to single and multifamily homes while reducing building CO2 emissions. Wavin’s Calefa units are designed to operate at lower temperatures, considering elements like outside weather compensation and standby heat loss, also, they produce instant hot tap water.
Circularity-enabling stabilizers
VINASTAB® stabilizers bring PVC to life for a variety of applications, including healthcare masks and tubing, irrigation systems, electric vehicle charging systems, rainwater harvesting and flood protection products, as well as purpose-designed formulations that support the use of recycled PVC. This series was designed in collaboration with Wavin, to help bring more stability and consistency to the extrusion process of Wavin’s Recycore products that use recycled PVC.