Photo by Nick Miners and courtesy of Optima, Burtt-Jones & Brewer and Collins Construction Ltd.
The New York-based PurOptima business unit of Optima, based in the United Kingdom, says all its glass and aluminum wall partitions and doors soon will be made using recycled-content Circal aluminum produced by Norsk Hydro ASA.
PurOptima is a global manufacturer of interior glass wall partitions and doors. Norway-based Hydro's Circal aluminum line is made with a minimum of 75 percent recycled postconsumer scrap.
“We have worked closely with Hydro to ensure we use aluminum with the maximum recycled content available and the lowest carbon footprint,” says Christian Mabey, managing director of Optima Products. “This has led to our decision to completely overhaul our supply chain and introduce Hydro Circal across our entire range of products.”
Hydro says Circal offers the highest recycled aluminum content currently available, with its specifications fully traceable and independently third-party certified.
The company makes the product by operating "advanced aluminum sorting technology" so the end-of-life materials are reclaimed, cleaned and sorted so only the finest scrap metals are reintroduced into circulation.
According to Kevin Mayer, United States manager for PurOptima, U.S.-produced aluminum has an embodied carbon of 16 kilograms (35.3 pounds) of CO2, compared with a European average of 8.6 kg (18.9 pounds) of CO2. "Contrastingly, Hydro Circal aluminum exclusively available in the U.S. in PurOptima’s glass wall partitioning systems has an embodied carbon of just 2.3 kg (5.1 pounds) of CO2, which is a massive benefit for clients," he adds. "We have already been able to make significant carbon reductions for clients looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
“We are constantly considering the future and our own role within it, that’s why we’re increasingly focusing on how we manufacture and consume as a business. Designing products and processes which incorporate reusability, and the circular economy is key to how we work now and in the future. As a market leader, we are developing several innovations that will support our clients and the environment moving forward. Our use of Hydro Circal is another one of these advances.”
Optima was founded in 1986 and manufactures its products in the U.K. and Malaysia.
