Sustainability
With respect for the environment.
Today, Decomo is one of the largest producers in Belgium of bespoke architectural precast concrete facades and other elements. We also play a pioneering role in terms of sustainability. Indeed, in order to mitigate the impact of our activities on the environment, we have been making significant efforts for quite some time.
Since 2011, our environmental policy has been supported by a certified environmental management system (ISO 14001:2015). It proves our ambition to want to be part of the solution in a circular world and to treat with respect, everything nature provides us with.
- What actions do we take to control our energy and water consumption?
- How does sustainable waste management limit our impact on the planet?
- What are we doing to reduce our CO₂ emissions?
- And how can we reduce our ecological footprint even further by being smart about raw materials and hazardous substances?
An answer to all these questions can be found below
Decomo is investing heavily in renewable energy sources.
LED lighting, more daylight in our workspaces and optimal insulation keeps our energy consumption to a minimum.
The 2 installations of our solar panels comprise of as many as 1,000 panels on the roof of our finishing hall and 294 panels on the roof of the concrete plant and already provide 30% of our total electricity needs.
In the most recent extension on the site (2016), concrete sandwich panels with a high insulation value were chosen. A first roof renovation was carried out in 2020, focusing on roof insulation and additional incidence of daylight in the studios (to save artificial light and electricity useage).
Lighting
2021 entire site converted from traditional lighting to led bulbs.
Solar energy
1.294 solar panels supply 30% of our needs.
Insulation
Extra attention for insulation in new builds and renovations.
Decomo developed a thorough water recovery system.
The production of architectural concrete requires a large amount of water, both during production and when finishing the concrete elements. Therefore, we have developed a thorough water recovery system and are committed to treating industrial waste water.
Since 2004, the polishing and finishing areas have been equipped with a water treatment plant to collect, treat and recycle wastewater and a plant to store some 310 m³ of rainwater. The latter, recycled water is used during the finishing process of architectural concrete.
Collection
700,000 litres of water collection
- buffer tank under the parking
- various rainwater storage tanks on the site
Treatment
ECOFROG machine: separation of sand and gravel particles, these particles are reused in various concretes This reduces the amount of inert waste.
Purification
Water collection and treatment ensure that we use less than 10,000 m³ of fresh water per year instead of 26,000 m³.
Decomo commits to maximum recovery and recycling.
In our production and finishing workshops, we use materials efficiently. Thanks to sophisticated waste management, we keep waste streams as low as possible and strive for maximum recovery and recycling of residual products. To this end, we work in association with registered waste recycling companies.
Decomo maintains a register of waste collected by approved organisations. Our aim is to sort as much as possible and reduce the amount of class 2 waste (mixed construction and demolition waste) that cannot be recycled.
Sludge processing
After collection, the sludge is processed by an approved treatment centre and, if possible, reused in another industrial process.
Steel grit and wood waste
Recycled up to 6x and then reused as a full blasting media. Formwork wood is fully recovered.
Waste segregation
- colour system where waste is deposited by type
- each container will have its own colour and annotation
- take-back of maximum waste by authorized companies
Decomo is committed to achieving a CO₂ neutral future.
In our ambition to become a carbon-neutral company, we are not only committed to maximum reduction in energy use and water recovery, we are also researching into concrete products with lower CO₂ values.
We are also making efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions from our production installations to improve the air quality on our site.
All installations are equipped with filters and comply with legal standards on emissions, controls and frequency of controls. The follow-up is ensured by a maintenance program that automatically notifys the dates of required planned preventative maintenance and controls (support access).
Installations
13 Economical and clean installations for propulsion and heating at the mouscron site.
Filters
The filter-equipped installations comply with legal standards on emissions, controls and monitoring frequency. All dates of maintenance and checks are tracked by the maintenance programme. Follow-up ensured.
Less dust
- cement and limestone carefull unloading
- extraction and filtration system in joinery for wood chips and sawdust
Decomo uses primary raw materials.
To produce architectural concrete, we primarily use raw materials such as aggregates, sand and FSC certified timber (for the formwork). In addition, we also process steel, cement and cement substitutes. Thanks to the high quality of the raw materials and efficient application (and logistics), we further enhance the sustainable character of our products.
Steel
100% recycled steel for the reinforcement in the concrete elements.
Wood
Use of FSC certified timber sourced from sustainably managed forests for the formworks.
Cement and CO₂ emission
Reduce carbon footprint by looking for:
- appropriate concrete design for reduced cement content
- cement substitutes
- new cement types
Sand and aggregates
32 above-ground silos: 32 x 64 ton capacity
Arranged in 2 rows, fully enclosed in the factory building. therefore aggregates no longer need to be stored outdoors in concrete bunkers and transported by wheel loaders to the concrete plant.
Aggregates are extracted from European quarries and selected by colour to ensure the aesthetic qualities of architectural concrete.
Decomo manages hazardous materials correctly and safely.
The production and finishing of architectural concrete cannot be done without using hazardous substances.
It goes without saying that when using them, we follow strict regulations and procedures to ensure the safety of our employees, prevent workplace calamities and minimize the impact on the environment.
Prevention
- chemicals are stored in retention tanks to prevent the risk of any products from entering drainage systems
- in case of spils, spill kits are available
- safety data sheets, centralized and maintained, are available to all employees
- legal precautions are taken for the various depots
Storage
Hazardous products are stored on a bund or drip tray that remains closed and is identified and labelled. Hazardous waste is collected in specially provided containers that comply with all regulations. These are fitted with a plastic bag to shield the products from the environment.
Collection
Collection is provided by a specialized company.