At Alside, we realize that reducing our carbon footprint on earth involves
more than just responsible material selection and manufacturing processes -
it goes to the heart of our daily operations and commitment to environmental
stewardship. It means making greener choices company-wide, from intensive
recycling programs at the manufacturing level to reducing travel at our corporate
headquarters.
Our automotive fleet, for example, recently was ranked 36 in the top 50 Green
Fleets in the U.S. for 2008 by Automotive Fleet Magazine. This award recognizes
companies that are working to deploy vehicles that reduce pollutants and realize
better overall gas mileage. We are proud to be a part of this conscientious group
and will continue to strive for new heights in our eco-friendly endeavors.
We also believe that incorporating thoughtful, green practices creates a feel-good attitude that becomes contagious to those
around us. We hope our proactive approach and our desire to preserve and
protect the environment plants a seed in others. If we all "green it forward" today, together we can achieve a happier,
healthier tomorrow.
Alside Vinyl Windows & Patio Doors
Exceptionally energy-smart and weathertight, Alside windows and patio doors not only reduce fuel consumption needed to heat and cool homes, they also have a long service life and achieve optimal material use and minimal waste in production. Designed for superior thermal performance, Alside windows with Energy Star® qualified insulated glass packages can help reduce energy costs year round and further reduce consumption of fossil fuels.
At Alside, virtually all in-plant vinyl scrap is recycled into other useful products, further reducing the volume and environmental impact of waste. And because vinyl never needs to be painted, it helps eliminate paint, stain and other maintenance-related products from entering the waste stream or releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. Vinyl windows and patio doors also are eco-friendly because vinyl resin is derived largely from common salt - a renewable and abundant natural resource!
DID YOU KNOW?
Alside Vinyl Windows...
- Are so durable that the vast majority of them installed over the past 25 years are still in use. And, at the end of their useful life - like all vinyl - they can be recycled. 1
- Reduce electricity usage! A study conducted by Franklin Associates found that using vinyl over alternative framing options saves the U.S. nearly 2 trillion BTUs of energy per year - enough to meet the yearly electrical needs of 20,000 single-family homes.
- Vinyl can be reprocessed and recycled repeatedly. Scrap is routinely recycled into other vinyl products. In fact, 99% of the vinyl used by processors goes into a finished product. 1
- More than 8 million pounds of window profile waste is diverted from landfills annually thanks to successful buy-back programs initiated by window manufacturers like Alside. 1
1A Clear View-Vinyl Windows and the Environment. American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) & The Vinyl Institute (VI). March 2007
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Alside Vinyl Siding
The home that protects you can also help protect the environment. As a durable product with a long service life, Alside vinyl siding can help reduce the depletion of wood and other precious natural resources commonly used in home construction. And because vinyl siding never needs to be painted, it helps prevent paint, stain, and other maintenance-related products from harming the earth by entering the waste stream or releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere.
With a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, Alside produces vinyl siding with optimal material use and minimal waste, ensuring nearly all in-plant scrap vinyl is recycled to further reduce our environmental footprint on the earth.
And you might be surprised to know that eco-friendly vinyl is derived largely from common salt - a renewable and abundant natural resource!
DID YOU KNOW?
Alside Vinyl Siding...
- Can contribute to achieving points in leading green building certification programs; insulated vinyl siding may help earn significantly more points.
- Is friendlier to the environment than brick, stucco and fiber cement in terms of air pollution caused by production, fossil fuel consumption and global warming impact.1
- Provides exemplary economic performance when evaluating costs associated with all life-cycle stages, from raw material acquisition to waste management.
- Delivers superior environmental performance compared to other cladding based on the use of a life-cycle assessment tool compliant with ISO 14044.
- Is safe to handle and install and poses no health risks to installers or inhabitants once installed.
- Never needs paint or stain so it will not contribute maintenance-related chemicals to the waste stream.
- Is a durable product that's engineered to last a "lifetime" on the home.*
DID YOU ALSO KNOW that Alside Vinyl Railing and Fencing are environmentally friendly for many of the same reasons as Alside's other vinyl building products - including optimal material use and minimal waste during manufacturing, product durability, excellent economic performance and maintenance freedom!
1USGBC LEED® for Homes Program Pilot Rating System, Page 114. BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) Study. January 2007.
*The NAHB has cited "lifetime" as the estimated life expectancy of vinyl siding on a home.
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Alside Steel Siding
When it comes to strength, durability and stability, steel offers many advantages for residential home building - and has long been North America's most recycled
material! 1
Not only is Alside's Satinwood® steel siding a strong and durable product, it is also an environmentally friendly home exterior that will provide years of maintenance-free beauty.
DID YOU KNOW?
Alside Steel Siding...
- Is completely recyclable! Approximately 88% of all steel products are recycled into new steel products at the end of their useful life.2
- Promotes energy conservation by creating a tight building envelope for more efficient heating and cooling performance year-round.
- Can contribute toward achieving points in leading green building certification programs.
- Helps take the pressure off renewable resources. A typical 2,000-square-foot home requires approximately 40 to 50 trees (about an acre's worth) to build with wood. With steel, only the equivalent of six scrapped automobiles is needed.3
1Steel: The Clear Cut Alternative for Building Homes. Steel Recycling Institute, www.recycle-steel.org
2Steel takes the LEED® with Recycled Content. Steel Recycling Institute, American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), and American Iron and Steel Institute. March 2009.
3Jim Woods, Sustainability and Steel Construction. Steel Recycling Institute © 2007-2008. (http://www.sustainable-steel.org/susconst.html)
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Alside Aluminum Siding
Alside aluminum building products are produced from material that is at least 90% recycled aluminum. At the end of their long useful life, aluminum siding products are 100% recyclable1 and can be reprocessed into similar products with no loss of quality. Eco-friendly aluminum siding, soffit, and trim coil further help the environment because it never needs to be repainted, thereby reducing the amount of paint and other maintenance-related substances entering the waste stream.
DID YOU KNOW?
Alside Aluminum Siding...
- Is produced from material that is at least 90% recycled aluminum. Using recycled aluminum instead of raw materials reduces the generation of air pollution such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrous oxide by 95% and water pollution by 97%.1
- Is a light-weight material, which makes it more fuel efficient to transport than alternative cladding materials.
- And other aluminium components can usually be recycled in a single process using up to 95% less energy than the primary production process.1
1LEED® Fact Sheet, Aluminum Sheet & Plate for the Building & Construction Market. Aluminum Association, Inc.
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Environmental Health & Safety
Alside's Commitment to Eco Responsibility
Alside is dedicated to providing exceptional quality, beauty and value while being ever mindful of our environmental responsibility throughout all aspects of manufacturing and product life cycles. The materials we use, whether it is vinyl, steel or aluminum, are selected not only for their durability, performance and beauty but also for their environmentally friendly qualities.
VINYL
- Total vinyl manufacturing today accounts for less than 1% of dioxin releases to the environment - less than many other manufacturing operations and building products.1
- Vinyl has excellent fire performance qualities. Based on a naturally fire retardant polymer, vinyl is self-extinguishing when a flame source is removed.
- The North American vinyl industry has subjected its products to extensive testing to demonstrate that they are safe to use. It maintains an active testing program to address new standards, as well as new concerns, as they develop.
STEEL
- Steel is not a flammable material; therefore, when exposed to a fire it will not support a flame.
- The steel industry continually improves their environmental footprint; Between 1990 and 2005, the iron and steel industry reduced carbon emissions by 47% and overall emissions by 67% - the highest reduction of any major industry, and continually pursues methods for reducing energy consumption resulting in reduced energy intensity per ton of steel by 29% since 1990.2
- Nearly 100% of structural steel beams and plates used in construction are recycled into new products - a phenomenal reclamation rate! 3
ALUMINUM
- The Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership (VAIP) program has reduced U.S. PFC (perfluorocarbon) emissions from aluminum smelting by well over 50% (compared to 1990 levels). In fact, in 2002, the EPA awarded The Aluminum Association and participating companies the 2002 Climate Change Award.4
- Primary aluminum manufacturing plants operate air-pollution equipment that captures pollutants and recycles raw materials, and industry furnaces are continually reducing the amount of chlorine gas used.4
- A recent survey of aluminum producers indicated that the total recycled content of domestically produced, flat rolled products for the Building and Construction market was approximately 85%. The same survey also indicated that on average, 60% of the total product content is from post-consumer sources.5
1U.S. EPA inventory of sources of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds.
2There's Always a Solution in Steel. American Institute of Steel Construction. © 2009. (http://www.aisc.org/content.aspx?id=3788)
3Steel takes the LEED® with Recycled Content. Steel Recycling Institute, American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), and American Iron and Steel Institute. March 2009.
4Environmental Issues. The Aluminum Association. (http://www.aluminum.org/Content/NavigationMenu/TheIndustry/Environment/default.htm)
5LEED® Fact Sheet, Aluminum Sheet & Plate for the Building & Construction Market. Aluminum Association, Inc.
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Alside Eco Action!
Alside makes every effort to incorporate ecological well-being throughout our corporation. Our list of "eco actions" continues to grow as we close the gap between going green and being green! Here are a few ways we are working toward a gentler environmental footprint:
- All scrap vinyl is recycled.
- Scrap glass from our window operations is recycled.
- Scrap which cannot be reused at Alside is sold to a company which reprocesses it into other materials (such as pipe or other plastic applications).
- "Super Sacks" (large plastic bags that can hold 1,500 - 2,000 lbs. of material) are returned to the supplier for reuse.
- Empty plastic totes/containers that originally contained liquid stabilizers are sent back to the supplier for reuse.
- Water used as a coolant during the extrusion of siding and window lineals is continually recycled and reused.
- All wood, cardboard, corrugated packaging and metal waste is recycled.
- Bottles and paper are separated and recycled.
- Waste oil is sent out for proper disposition.
- Supplier palettes are reused in-house.
- Siding is shipped to distributors on returnable wood and metal pallets.
- Recycled material is used in production where practical.
- Suitable wood palletizing materials are sent out to be rebuilt into good, usable pallets or for mulching.
- Motor oil and gear box fluids are sent to recycler.
- Warehouse facilities are consolidated when possible.
- Use environmentally friendly and energy efficient materials in our warehouse facilities.
- The Alside Supply Center in Wichita, Kansas is a LEED Certified building - the first green building constructed in Wichita.
- Recycling containers are installed in offices and common areas.
- Employee ride sharing program is promoted throughout company.
- Webinars are utilized in lieu of in-person meetings when possible.
- Products are donated to charities such as Habitat for Humanity.
- The green advantages of siding and window products are promoted to consumers.
USGBC and related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used by permission.
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