Kuraray Launches Trosifol® R3: The Sustainable Interlayer Solution with Up to 90% CO2 Reduction

Kuraray’s Advanced Interlayer Solutions (AIS) Division is excited to announce the launch of Trosifol® R3, a groundbreaking interlayer solution for laminated glass that offers up to a 90% reduction in carbon emissions compared to standard PVB interlayers. This innovative product, set to debut at the Glasstec trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, reflects Kuraray’s commitment to sustainability and high-performance solutions for the architecture and construction industries.

The most recognized brand of glass interlayer is now the most sustainable!

Trosifol® R3 has been developed to address the growing demand for environmentally friendly construction materials, providing architects, engineers, and laminators with a superior option that contributes to reducing the overall carbon footprint of their laminated glass in projects.

“With Trosifol® R3 and our new Interlayer CO₂ Classification system, Kuraray is advancing the industry’s shift toward more sustainable materials,” said Alberto Alarcon, Global Marketing Communication Manager at Kuraray AIS Division. “We’re excited to provide customers with transparent, easy-to-understand information on the carbon footprint of our products, helping them achieve their sustainability goals.”

Key Features and Benefits of Trosifol® R3:

• Sustainable Design: Achieves up to 90% CO₂ emissions reduction compared to traditional PVB clear interlayers.
• Interlayer CO₂ Classification: Trosifol® R3 is rated as one of the top classes, enabling customers to make more eco-conscious decisions.
•  Sustainable interlayers: Made with recycled content and produced using cleaner processes.
• ISO certified: Supported by detailed environmental product declarations*
• Proven reliability: Decades of expertise in glass lamination technology.

*certification in process

Trosifol® R3 means Reduce > Reuse > Recycle

Product packaging is undergoing a paradigm shift in terms of materials, volume and design. Kuraray is a self-proclaimed leader in this field and has already made significant progress in packaging optimization.

To give customers more ideas for their own solutions, Kuraray has added a new free AI tool called "Carbon Reduce AI" to the extensive tools available on its website www.trosifol.com. This tool uses artificial intelligence to determine the carbon footprint of glass structures such as laminated safety glass and insulating glass. EPD documents for specific Kuraray interlayers are used to calculate the CO2 footprint of glass structures. 

The values for the selected individual glass types and the energy consumption for the processing steps at the glass processor are based on the average values for the glass industry determined by the German ‘Bundesverband Flachglas’ in cooperation with IFT Rosenheim. However, the actual values of the respective raw glass or glass processor can also be used. 

The application is linked to the Strength Lab AI structural analysis software so that the static properties can be checked at the same time. An optimization function can then be used to quickly and easily determine the best possible glass structure for the application. 

R3 - Reduce

Improvements already implemented 

With the measures implemented to date, Kuraray has already achieved a 16.7% reduction in CO₂ emissions in the AIS area. This progress demonstrates the global manufacturer's commitment to reducing its environmental footprint. The plan is to extend these improvements to all internal logistics operations.

Planned improvements
As part of our ongoing efforts, we are actively investigating moving more of our shipments from rail back to sea. This transition will take advantage of the lower emissions per ton-mile of ocean freight, helping us to minimize our environmental impact while continuing to deliver high quality products efficiently.

R3 - Reuse

Reusable and recyclable goods are always more sustainable, and many goods can be reused multiple times, further improving their sustainability footprint.

By 2024, our share of reusable packaging will increase to 35%, more than doubling from 17% in 2020. A reusable tracking solution is in advanced development and on track for full implementation. Kuraray North America is working to implement several reusable packaging projects and will seek to increase its use throughout 2024.

R3 – RECYCLING
In line with returnable packaging concepts, we are also investigating recyclable materials for use in components that cannot be easily reused. This includes the wider use of wood, cardboard and paper, as well as the introduction of lightweight/highly recyclable plastics.

For more information about Trosifol® R3, please visit Trosifol website or connect with us on our social media channels.