Belron is one of the world’s leaders in vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration, operating in 42 countries through businesses like Autoglass in the UK, Carglass across Europe and Safelite in the USA. Last year, Belron carried out over 17 million repair, replacement and recalibration jobs. As Belron’s Sustainable Procurement Manager, Felicity Bone works within their global procurement team, focusing on responsible sourcing, supplier due diligence and embedding ESG into how Belron works with suppliers across their supply chain.
Q: Why does glass matter so much to Belron’s business?
As a global leader in vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration, Glass is central to everything that we do. It’s a major contributor to our emissions, our waste and the risks we see in our supply chain. Given the nature of what we do, glass is one of our most critical materials, both from a commercial and a sustainability perspective.
Q: How has Belron changed its approach to supplier sustainability?
Over the last few years, we have really stepped up our approach to supplier sustainability, particularly around scope 3 emissions, responsible sourcing and risk management. We have delved into our glass supply chains and measured the emissions of the windscreens from our key suppliers.
Q: You’ve seen a lot of the supply chain firsthand. What has that shown you?
In my time at Belron, I have seen everything from visiting sand mines to standing inside an offline float furnace, to seeing flat glass cut and laminated and baked in the autoclaves to turn into windscreens. I have also visited our glass recycling partners, who recycle the vehicle glass that we replace. One thing that really stands out is that change in this industry takes time. Float furnaces have long life cycles, so the decisions made today can shape emissions and production processes for decades.
Q: Why did Belron decide to join ResponsibleGlass?
Progress needs long-term thinking and collective effort, and that requires industry-wide collaboration. That is really what led us to join ResponsibleGlass. Joining was an easy decision for us. It’s an opportunity to learn from others and share our own knowledge, and to drive the things that are important to us further and faster than we could do on our own. We see it as a platform to work more closely with peers and suppliers, align expectations and help accelerate progress across the value chain.
Q: What does Belron hope to get out of being part of the community and helping to set the Standard?
For us, it is about playing our part in building a more sustainable glass industry, not just for today, but for the long term.
