Azek decking, Sika roofing boost recycled content

PVC material suppliers and product manufacturers in the building industry have been trying to clean up their environmental footprint, and they're now pushing to improve the network to recycle vinyl products.

The Vinyl Sustainability Council recently recognized Azek Co. for increasing the use of recycled materials in its capped PVC deck boards in the TimberTech product line and Sika Sarnafil, a subsidiary of Sika AG, for using recycled content in two brands of its single-ply roofing products.

Chicago-based Azek boosted the composition of total board weight from 30 percent to 63 percent recycled content with almost half of the material coming from external post-industrial and post-consumer sources. The company says it diverted about 300 million pounds of waste from landfills in 2019.

Azek's research and development team worked with recycled PVC suppliers and its subsidiary, Return Polymers, to increase the recycled material composition.

"To accomplish this, it takes reimagining current products to find ways to make them better. As we all know, sustainability is a journey, and we will continue to push the boundaries of our recycling capabilities and innovations," Bruce Stanhope, Azek vice president of research and development, said in a news release.

With estimated annual sales of $515 million, Azek ranks No. 8 among North American pipe, profile and tubing extruders, according to Plastics News' latest ranking.

VSC also put a spotlight on Canton, Mass.-based Sika Sarnafil for its role in repairing the roof of the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The stadium's 30-year old Sarnafil PVC roof was still performing well, but the building had suffered structural damage from massive chunks of ice falling from neighboring office towers.

The manufacturer's ability to recycle the existing PVC roof was a driving factor in the building owner's decisions to replace it, according to Bill Bellico, Sika Sarnafil's director of marketing.

"We were able to completely recycle the 460,000-square-foot roof membrane and put it back into new Sika roofing products. It is satisfying to see our 30-year-old Sarnafil roof come full circle and get a new life as a roof membrane that will protect another building," Bellico said in the release.

The new PVC roof also contains some recycled content certified by Underwriter Laboratories, which the release says should help protect the stadium for more than 30 years.

VSC also is working with nine companies participating in its Vantage Vinyl program, which is focused on three United Nations goals to address global challenges: resource efficiency and recycling, health and safety, and emissions.

The initiative's structure ensures that each company verifies it is advancing the sustainability journey of the vinyl industry in alignment with UN targets, according to VSC Executive Director Jay Thomas.

"It is every company's responsibility, and in turn, the entire industry's, to ensure they are doing more with less. With Vantage Vinyl verification, companies are providing consumers with a clear view of their commitment to advancing sustainable practices," Thomas said in a news release.

The voluntary, self-funded effort uses a third-party verification firm, GreenCircle Certified LLC in Royersford, Pa., to report on activities and key performance indicators achieved by each company.

The verified companies include:

• OXO Global, a business unit of ExxonMobil that produces plasticizers to make rigid PVC flexible for flooring, insulation, plumbing and sealants.

• Formosa Plastics Corp., Shintech Inc., Occidental Chemical Corp., Vestolit GmbH and Westlake Chemical Corp., all suppliers of vinyl resin to manufacturers of vinyl windows and doors, pipe, siding and decking.

• Sika Corp. and its roofing division.

• Geon Performance Solutions, a material formulator that combines resins with additives to make formulations for manufacturers of windows and doors, pipe and outdoor building products.

• Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., a material formulator, additive manufacturer and manufacturer of CPVC pipe.

To foster sustainability practices, VSC has partnered with the Vinyl Council of Australia to promote global harmonization, broaden recognition of industry leaders and increase industry participation.

The VCA has a PVC stewardship program that is similar to the VSC's Vantage Vinyl program.

While circumstances vary regionally, sustainability is a global issue and vinyl products participate in a global market, according to VCA Chief Executive Sophi MacMillan.

"It is in the best interest of the industry and society to work across borders to help the vinyl industry to continue to make progress," MacMillan said in a release.

Trade association-led sustainability programs serve an important function in helping member companies share best practices, which leads to continuous improvement throughout the industry.

"Many of our members do business throughout the world," Thomas said. "Developing a pathway to reciprocity between the various sustainability programs will foster progress by easing the administration burden on companies and encouraging more participation."

The PVC stewardship program and Vantage Vinyl are designed to be inclusive for companies at any stage of the sustainability journey, but encourage continuous improvement.

"Increased program participation is a key factor in advancing the sustainability of the industry," Thomas said.