Reduced carbon footprint in TPO waterproofing membranes, while maintaining exceptional durability
Soprema and GCR collaborate to advance sustainability benefits in Building & Construction
Challenge
SOPREMA’s FLAGON® TPO range of synthetic waterproofing membranes is used worldwide in both
new construction and renovation, meeting stringent performance, sustainability, and building protection
requirements. Integrating recycled content into such a demanding application presented significant challenges:
- Membranes must be flexible for easy installation, yet rigid and puncture-resistant for long-term durability.
- Recycled resins must maintain stringent contaminant control to ensure UV stabilizer performance, prevent premature failure, and extend shelf life.
Solution
After two years of joint development and rigorous testing, Soprema successfully integrated Ciclic® rPP in the layers of its membranes.
What made the difference?
GCR’s strict quality control in Ciclic® rPP:
- Contaminant control: avoids reactions with UV stabilizers, ensuring long shelf life.
- Consistent formulation: minimized PE content and stable quality between batches.
- Performance edge: higher mechanical properties than standard rPP; clean material with no black spots, delivering an optimized aesthetic.
- Reliable processing: behaves close to virgin polymer — no filter issues, no blockages, smooth extrusion.
This level of control gave Soprema the confidence to use recycled polyolefins in such a demanding application.
The results
- Ciclic® rPP in the layers
- CO2 reduction in the final product
- No compromise on UV resistance, puncture resistance, dimensional stability, or flexibility at low temperatures
- Cost optimization achieved
GCR and SOPREMA prove that sustainable building materials can meet the highest performance standards thanks to recycled polyolefins with unmatched quality control.
All data presented is for informational purposes only and does not constitute contractual specifications. The processor is responsible for processing conditions and final product use, including compliance with applicable regulations and third-party intellectual property rights.
