Sustainable product

Built with Common Sense: How Warsco Structurally Embeds Sustainability in Its Units

Sustainability at Warsco isn’t limited to solar panels or electric cars. According to Managing Director Marc Warson, it’s a mindset that revolves mainly around common sense. In this article, he explains how they are making their units increasingly sustainable.

From Welding to Punching and Folding

In the past, Warsco produced its units using welded steel profiles—a labor-intensive process with a lot of dust, paint, and welding work. A few years ago, they switched to an automated process using galvanized steel sheets, which are punched and folded. Assembly is then done with bolts and rivets, eliminating the need for welding.

“This approach has many advantages,” says Marc. “It ensures consistent quality and a cleaner production process, but also a unit that is fully demountable and reusable. Damaged parts can be replaced easily without dismantling the entire frame.”

Giving Waste a Second Life

Warsco tries to minimize waste as much as possible. Their floor insulation is designed so that all panels fit perfectly together, with no cutting waste. “We are continuously optimizing,” says Marc. “There is no waste in the chassis, and we are getting closer and closer to zero waste in the walls and roof as well.”

Remaining waste is recycled through partners who follow the same standards. For instance, Rockwool turns leftover rock wool into new insulation boards, provided the waste consists solely of rock wool. “Our employees even remove labels from packaging so they can be recycled with paper. Here, that’s standard practice,” Marc adds.

Sustainability in the DNA

The idea that a unit should be reusable as a whole and in its parts has long been part of Warsco. “My father never threw anything away,” Marc recalls. “Every screw and plate could still serve a purpose somewhere.” As a second-generation leader, Marc grew up in an environment where reuse stemmed from economic awareness.

Today, this translates into an internal reflex to continuously improve. “Our lifting eyes used to stick out, which made transport difficult. Now they are neatly integrated into the corners of the unit. We are always looking for improvements,” Marc explains.

And the future? Warsco is ready. “Our units last for decades. And when they eventually need replacement, we dismantle them and reuse all the parts, with no welding or waste,” says Marc.

For Warsco, sustainability is a given, passed down through generations, and perhaps their greatest innovation.