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.
- Aluminium
- PVC
An overview of CO₂-efficient materials
Allotment Process
Schüco Low Carbon aluminium is supplied in accordance with the allotment process. This means that no differentiation is made between the different material grades for delivery. The profiles supplied may therefore consist of standard, LC or ULC aluminium, irrespective of what has been ordered. Find out more.
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.
The sustainable PVC-U material classes
PVC is also very well suited to the construction of certified, future-oriented buildings and the reduction of construction emissions. This sustainable material offers outstanding recycling properties and can be recycled up to seven times with no loss of quality for the newly created profiles. Recycling PVC generates significantly lower CO₂ emissions than producing primary PVC.
Profiles with the BALANCED PVC material standard are produced in a more sustainable* way as standard. Last year, as much as 64% of the PVC-U profiles were manufactured with recycled material or a formulation that makes optimum use of resources in the inner core. This formulation that makes optimum use of resources only contains components that are necessary for the quality of the material, and does without colour pigments, for example, in order to conserve raw materials. The use of recycled materials as standard will be continually increased. In doing so, Schüco is contributing towards reducing the global consumption of fossil raw materials.
* This is achieved through the use of either recycled material or a formulation that makes optimum use of resources in the inner core.
In addition, the RECYCLED PVC material version can be chosen. All PVC-U profiles in this material class contain recycled material in the inner core and, depending on the geometry, are supplied with a recycled material content of between 39% and 57%. Some profile geometries in this material class also meet the requirement for a recycled material quota above 55% and can be used for in buildings with special subsidies.
PVC profiles containing bio-attributed PVC from tall oil
With this new material class, partner companies can meet DGNB certification requirements (quality level 4), lower their carbon footprint and take advantage of a non-fossil raw material basis. In PVC production, crude oil is replaced by tall oil, which is a by-product of paper production. It is a renewable, non-fossil raw material from pine trees that does not compete with the food chain. Compared to primary PVC made from crude oil, PVC made from tall oil saves up to 90 percent* CO₂e in the manufacturing process.
Bio-attributed PVC is integrated into the existing supply chains and production processes and can therefore also be individually combined with the BALANCED PVC or RECYCLED PVC material classes. For each profile delivery, Schüco partner companies receive a certificate detailing the content of bio-attributed PVC-U and the corresponding CO₂ savings.
The process is RSB and ISCC PLUS certified, which means that the raw material can be traced along the entire supply chain from the paper producer to the production facility in Weißenfels, which is verified annually by means of an external certification process. BIO-ATTRIBUTED PVC is available for all Schüco PVC-U systems.
* Compared to the manufacturing process of primary PVC from the same manufacturer
Adjusting screw for CO2 reduction:
During the construction of a window unit, many factors impact the carbon emissions in addition to the choice of material. The basic depth of a profile, the face width, the technology, the reinforcement used, and the surface finishing of PVC-U profiles significantly impact the GWP value of the finished unit. This must be taken into account during the project planning stage to enable active control of the CO₂ value of a building.
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).