Winnipeg, MB – Tuesday, August 26, 2025 – Over the past year, CertainTeed Gypsum Winnipeg has spearheaded an innovative sustainability project to conserve water and energy use during gypsum wallboard production. This unique project resulted in reducing water consumption by 3%, decreasing CO2 emissions (scopes 1 and 2) by 5.6 tons per year for the site and decreasing energy consumption by nearly 25 million kWh per year.
“At Saint-Gobain Canada, our team is striving every day to manufacture and deliver the highest quality of product to the construction industry while actively reflecting on the impact of our actions,” shares Jean-Claude Lasserre, CEO, Canada, Saint-Gobain. “With this transformative project, our whole CertainTeed Gypsum Winnipeg team came together to solve a challenge that will have a significant sustainable impact on our work, the environment and our customers.”
Driven by innovation
In 2024 the CertainTeed Gypsum Winnipeg team embarked on a journey to significantly reduce overall water use - an essential component of gypsum wallboard production - as well as the amount of energy consumed during the evaporation and drying process. Prior to the project, only one-third of the water added in production was retained in the product, while the rest was evaporated in the drying process, leading to high energy consumption and inefficiency.
Through an iterative process, the team identified a key product line, the CertainTeed 5/8 Type X board, to conduct trials to adjust the water-to-stucco ratio (known as water gauge), while working to obtain the same level of quality the clients expect from the product. The team acted on several fronts to reach the goals they sought:
- Recipe optimization: After several trial phases, the Winnipeg team was able to reduce the water gauge, achieving a 3% reduction, resulting in over 240,000 less gallons of water used per year;
- Technology upgrade: Additionally, by replacing the magnetic flow meters with the latest technology, Coriolis flow meters, the team improved water measurement accuracy, resulting in less water discharge variability and waste;
- Energy savings: With lower water content in the product, the process has a reduced dryer evaporation load, decreasing energy consumption by nearly 25 million kWh – enough to power over 6,000 electric cars yearly - and saving over $280K in energy costs yearly;
- Carbon emissions: With this newly implemented process and other actions, the facility measured reduced carbon emissions of 5.6 tons/year of CO2 (scopes 1 and 2)
- Production efficiency gains: The new process also increased line speed and increased productivity by 5%.
The project led by the Winnipeg team is a best practice and case study that is inspiring similar water usage reduction initiatives being explored and deployed at CertainTeed’s facilities in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
A clear commitment towards our net zero carbon journey
Due to its innovative approach and outstanding results, the project was recognized through Saint-Gobain North America’s 2025 Sustainable Development Award. The Saint-Gobain North America Sustainable Development Awards is an annual recognition through the North American region that highlights innovative processes in four categories across the various business units to either manage waste, water usage, energy consumption and carbon reduction.
Selected innovations are aimed at supporting the Group’s ambitious plan of being net zero carbon by 2050, which also includes milestones such as reducing the company’s industrial water withdrawal by 50% by 2030 (from a 2017 baseline).
This latest sustainable innovation also comes as Saint-Gobain works on completing electrification upgrades to its Montreal CertainTeed Gypsum facility in Sainte-Catherine, QC, making it North America’s first and the world’s largest zero-carbon (scopes 1 and 2) wallboard plant.
About CertainTeed
With innovative building solutions made possible through its comprehensive offering of interior and exterior products, CertainTeed is transforming how the industry builds. As leaders in building science and sustainable construction, CertainTeed makes it easier than ever to create high-performance, energy-efficient places to live, work and play, so that together we can make the world a better home.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world's largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed has more than 6,900 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. www.certainteed.com
About Saint-Gobain
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group, celebrating its 360th anniversary in 2025, remains more committed than ever to its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.
€46.6 billion in sales in 2024
More than 161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050
Contact for media only:
Alexandre Lainesse
Public Relations Manager, Canada, Saint-Gobain North America
alexandre.lainesse@saint-gobain.com
514-973-1187