By selecting the right materials, fabricators can actively control embodied emissions in the building envelope and therefore have a positive effect on the carbon footprint of the building. Furthermore, materials already installed will have to be reused to a greater extent in future so that they can contribute to sustainability as recycled materials in the circular economy.
An overview of CO₂-efficient materials
Low carbon aluminium and ultra-low carbon aluminium
Aluminium is an ideally suitable material for reducing embodied emissions. The sustainable material and recyclate can be recycled endlessly and boast low CO₂ emissions, even when reused multiple times.
Special aluminium grades in particular can reduce the carbon footprint of a building as early as the construction stage. The Schüco low carbon and ultra-low carbon aluminium grades contain far less embodied carbon than traditional aluminium types, thanks to the use of recycled aluminium and of green electricity during manufacturing, among other things.
Embodied carbon means the carbon emissions in a material that are created during production of the units. The EPD for profiles made from Schüco low carbon aluminium reports a value of less than 4.47 kg CO₂e/kg and the value for Schüco ultra-low carbon profiles is even below 2.27 kg CO₂e/kg.
Recycling as standard
Same insulating bars, less CO₂
Schüco is changing how it produces insulating bars and saving CO₂ in the process. Effective immediately, all polyamide insulating bars will be manufactured using recycled polyamide. This will reduce the CO₂ equivalent of the bars by more than two thirds. The change will take place automatically and seamlessly.
The same insulating bars, less CO₂, greater sustainability. The changeover in production to polyamide insulating bars made from PA 66 GF 25 in all product groups represents the next step in the Schüco sustainability strategy. Compared to polyamide insulating bars made from new materials, the use of recycled polyamide saves around 70% CO₂e (CO₂ equivalent). The GWP (Global Warming Potential) value of a building can be further reduced with this measure and the saving is cumulative, especially when it comes to large-scale usage.
Furthermore, the Schüco modular principle enables this change to take place seamlessly. Product properties and certifications remain unaltered, as do the manual and article numbers. There will also be no changes to the ordering process, as the changeover will take place automatically and nothing will need to be ordered in addition. The GWP value will be integrated into the SchüCal planning software with the next material list update. In the meantime, manufacturer declarations can be issued as required.
Cradle to Cradle-certified systems
Cradle to Cradle-certified systems make a decisive contribution to the reuse of aluminium. The materials are separated and the recyclable material is shredded and melted down before reuse. This means windows and doors at the end of their useful life can be fed back into the A/U/F loop (Aluminium und Umwelt im Fenster- und Fassadenbau – aluminium and the environment in window and façade construction), reducing the need for newly manufactured aluminium for façade constructions.
With 76 currently certified systems, Schüco is one of the Cradle to Cradle pioneers in the building sector. Schüco is also committed to a sustainable aluminium industry and creating binding sustainability standards. As a reward for this commitment, Schüco is one of the first companies in the building sector to be certified in accordance with the internationally recognised Chain of Custody Standard by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI).