SAS International

Wins Sustainable Innovation Award at FIS Innovation Awards 2026 for Recover

Our pioneering circular ceiling solution recognized for advancing sustainability across the built environment.

We’re proud to announce that SAS International has won the Sustainable Innovation Award at the FIS Innovation Awards 2026 for our pioneering SAS Recover initiative, recognising our commitment to circularity, resource efficiency and sustainable innovation within the built environment.

The award was presented at the FIS Innovation Awards Dinner on 22 October 2026 in Northamptonshire, where winners were announced across the Product, Digital and Sustainability categories. The awards celebrate outstanding innovation across the finishes and interiors sector, with entries independently assessed by a panel of industry experts.

SAS Recover was recognized for its practical and scalable approach to circularity, helping customers extend the life of existing ceiling systems while significantly reducing waste and embodied carbon.

As part of our wider sustainability strategy, SAS Recover enables us to recover end-of-life metal ceiling tiles and return them to the market as recertified, rewarranted products. Through a dedicated remanufacture and refurbishment process at our Bridgend manufacturing facility in South Wales, ceiling tiles are carefully cleaned, assessed, refinished and restored to an as-new condition.

Depending on their condition, tiles can be fully remanufactured for reuse, repurposed and upcycled into alternative SAS products, or recycled through local processing partners. By keeping valuable materials in use for longer, SAS Recover supports a more circular construction industry while helping to divert waste from landfill.

By using existing steel rather than virgin material, we have achieved an embodied carbon reduction of up to 85%, demonstrating how circular manufacturing can deliver meaningful environmental benefits without compromising quality or performance.

SAS Recover also forms part of our broader sustainability program, which includes investment in renewable energy generation through photovoltaic panels, water recycling initiatives, biodiversity projects and social value programs. We continue to support local communities through apprenticeship opportunities, skills development and career pathways within manufacturing and construction.

The judges praised SAS Recover for demonstrating leadership within the manufacturing sector and setting an example of how producers can take greater responsibility for the lifecycle of their products.

Testimonial

“This business model is a no-brainer and SAS has made it work.”

“While there is technically nothing innovative in this, the business model shows other manufacturers that they need to take producer responsibility seriously. We hope this first mover advantage will ensure the scheme is successful.”

FIS expert judging panel

“This recognition reflects the vision, dedication and hard work of our teams, who have challenged conventional thinking to create a genuinely circular solution for metal ceilings."

Brad Giles
General Manager

Brad Continued:

“This recognition reflects the vision, dedication and hard work of our teams, who have challenged conventional thinking to create a genuinely circular solution for metal ceilings.

“SAS Recover demonstrates that sustainability and commercial success can go hand in hand. By extending the life of existing products and significantly reducing embodied carbon, we’re helping our customers achieve their environmental objectives while reducing waste across the built environment.

“We’d like to thank FIS, the judging panel and the award sponsor SIMONSWERK UK for supporting and championing innovation within our industry. We’d also like to congratulate our fellow finalists, Betan and Collins Construction, whose initiatives are helping to drive positive change across the sector.”

Winning this award marks another important milestone in our circularity journey and reinforces our commitment to developing products, services and manufacturing processes that deliver measurable environmental and social impact.