11
May
2011
|
18:00 PM
America/New_York
CertainTeed Publishes Life Cycle Assessment Data to Illustrate Environmental Performance of Vinyl and Polymer Siding
(Valley Forge, Pa.) – Based on a recent life cycle analysis (LCA), CertainTeed® Vinyl Siding, CedarBoards™ Insulated Siding and Cedar Impressions® Polymer Siding outperformed other exterior siding products — such as brick, stucco and other siding options — in terms of environmental and economic performance. The company is the first vinyl siding manufacturer to publish LCA data through the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Building for Economic and Environmental Sustainability (BEES) program, an online software program that allows the comparison of building products on a life cycle basis.
The LCA, which was conducted by Sustainable Solutions Corporation of Royersford, Pa., included an in-depth analysis of the products’ impact on the environment throughout its entire lifespan. The analysis included an evaluation of raw material acquisition, manufacturing, transportation and distribution, installation, maintenance and end of life disposal. The LCA data was submitted to BEES for independent review and publication.
“CertainTeed siding products performed exceptionally well in the life cycle assessment, offering a new vantage point for their use as environmentally sound cladding options,” says Drew Brandt, LEED AP, director of product marketing for CertainTeed’s Siding Products Group. “This in-depth examination is an industry game changer and gives us a complete, accurate view of our products’ true sustainability and a foundation to better understand and improve them.”
In terms of overall environmental performance, CertainTeed siding products performed better than other cladding materials in the BEES system, including brick, stucco, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), and other siding options. Environmental performance is based on 13 impact categories, such as human health, global warming potential, air pollution, and smog.
“Over the years, we’ve taken significant steps to reduce our impact on the environment by minimizing water and energy use at our plants, increasing the use of recycled materials, and establishing a network of recycling centers,” adds Brandt. “The LCA marks the culmination — and success — of these efforts. CertainTeed is proud of these accomplishments and wanted to make them available to our customers in a transparent, easy-to-understand format.”
CertainTeed has streamlined its operations to reduce carbon emissions and reprocess all vinyl scrap, resulting in near-zero waste manufacturing facilities. The majority of the company’s product lines contain recycled content, including CedarBoard’s insulated siding’s industry-leading 53 percent recycled content. Additionally, CertainTeed has established a network of 160 vinyl siding recycling centers throughout the United States, helping to divert siding from being landfilled at the end of its useful life.
“CertainTeed is moving in the right direction in regards to sustainability and product stewardship,” says Tad Radzinski, P.E., LEED AP, founder and president of Sustainable Solutions Corporation. “They are using life cycle assessment as a tool to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of their products and are continuously looking for more ways to make their products more sustainable.”
An online program designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), BEES offers transparency and credibility into a product’s performance since data is reviewed and verified by NIST. The BEES system aligns with ISO 14040, the internationally recognized standard of the International Organization for Standardization.
CertainTeed vinyl siding offers an industry-leading spectrum of profiles and colors including unique, darker shades and semitransparent stained blends for virtually unlimited design possibilities. Available in 31 colors and six classic styles, Cedar Impressions offers the most natural-looking texture of any cedar-shingle siding alternative available, without the heavy maintenance of wood. Molded from real cedar boards and backed with polystyrene insulation, CedarBoards™ Insulated Vinyl Siding provides a natural, rough cedar texture and the look of wide-board wood siding, while boosting a home’s energy efficiency. For more information, visit www.certainteed.com.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2010. www.certainteed.com.
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The LCA, which was conducted by Sustainable Solutions Corporation of Royersford, Pa., included an in-depth analysis of the products’ impact on the environment throughout its entire lifespan. The analysis included an evaluation of raw material acquisition, manufacturing, transportation and distribution, installation, maintenance and end of life disposal. The LCA data was submitted to BEES for independent review and publication.
“CertainTeed siding products performed exceptionally well in the life cycle assessment, offering a new vantage point for their use as environmentally sound cladding options,” says Drew Brandt, LEED AP, director of product marketing for CertainTeed’s Siding Products Group. “This in-depth examination is an industry game changer and gives us a complete, accurate view of our products’ true sustainability and a foundation to better understand and improve them.”
In terms of overall environmental performance, CertainTeed siding products performed better than other cladding materials in the BEES system, including brick, stucco, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), and other siding options. Environmental performance is based on 13 impact categories, such as human health, global warming potential, air pollution, and smog.
“Over the years, we’ve taken significant steps to reduce our impact on the environment by minimizing water and energy use at our plants, increasing the use of recycled materials, and establishing a network of recycling centers,” adds Brandt. “The LCA marks the culmination — and success — of these efforts. CertainTeed is proud of these accomplishments and wanted to make them available to our customers in a transparent, easy-to-understand format.”
CertainTeed has streamlined its operations to reduce carbon emissions and reprocess all vinyl scrap, resulting in near-zero waste manufacturing facilities. The majority of the company’s product lines contain recycled content, including CedarBoard’s insulated siding’s industry-leading 53 percent recycled content. Additionally, CertainTeed has established a network of 160 vinyl siding recycling centers throughout the United States, helping to divert siding from being landfilled at the end of its useful life.
“CertainTeed is moving in the right direction in regards to sustainability and product stewardship,” says Tad Radzinski, P.E., LEED AP, founder and president of Sustainable Solutions Corporation. “They are using life cycle assessment as a tool to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of their products and are continuously looking for more ways to make their products more sustainable.”
An online program designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), BEES offers transparency and credibility into a product’s performance since data is reviewed and verified by NIST. The BEES system aligns with ISO 14040, the internationally recognized standard of the International Organization for Standardization.
CertainTeed vinyl siding offers an industry-leading spectrum of profiles and colors including unique, darker shades and semitransparent stained blends for virtually unlimited design possibilities. Available in 31 colors and six classic styles, Cedar Impressions offers the most natural-looking texture of any cedar-shingle siding alternative available, without the heavy maintenance of wood. Molded from real cedar boards and backed with polystyrene insulation, CedarBoards™ Insulated Vinyl Siding provides a natural, rough cedar texture and the look of wide-board wood siding, while boosting a home’s energy efficiency. For more information, visit www.certainteed.com.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2010. www.certainteed.com.
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