Recycling
Owens Corning is one of the largest users of recycled glass in the world, using over 1 billion pounds of curbside consumer containers and pre-consumer recycled glass. Not only does this decrease community landfill waste, but it also lowers our energy use when manufacturing insulation, since starting with raw materials such as sand requires more energy. In addition, we’re the first roofing manufacturer to establish a program for recycling shingles.
Recycled Content
When it comes to using recycled glass content in our insulation, we use as much as we can get. Our fiberglass insulation is certified to have a minimum of 50 percent recycled glass content, the highest level in the United States. But in some areas we have as much as 70 percent recycled content, while continuing to provide the same energy-saving performance our customers expect.
Our Foamular® XPS products use a minimum of 20 percent recycled content, which comes from other types of waste foams as well as all of our scraps from the XPS production process. Both product lines are certified by Scientific Certification Systems for recycled content.
This recognition by Scientific Certification Systems assures building professionals that these products can contribute to meeting green building guidelines such as LEED® certification. Learn about other environmental certifications.
Other Owens Corning products, including roofing shingles, have recycled content dependent on where they are produced. Contact 1-800-GET-PINK® for more information on recycled content in any of our products.
Asphalt Shingle Recycling
Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt LLC is the first roofing manufacturer to establish a program for recycling shingles. We connect contractors with convenient recycling facilities through a national strategic alliance with Heritage Environmental Services, the largest privately-held environmental services company in the U.S.
As part of this groundbreaking program, contractors take the Preferred Contractor Shingle Recycling Pledge, committing to recycle their shingle tear-offs. Currently there are eight major cities with drop-off locations, and we’re planning to expand the program to 10 additional cities in 2011.
Since the program began in 2009, we’ve recycled 50,000 tons of shingles, the equivalent of approximately 16,000 roofs. Every recycled roof is comparable to recycling more than 100 percent of a year’s worth of household waste. Combined, the recycled shingles provided 50,000 barrels of oil in the form of asphalt.
Giving Glass A Second Life
Owens Corning and Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City, Mo., USA, created what some call America’s first self-contained metropolitan recycling system. The brewery was looking for ways to recycle its glass bottles, and the nearby Owens Corning plant in Kansas City, Kan., was seeking ways to increase its use of recycled glass. Meanwhile there was no glass recycling program for local residents.
With the help of Owens Corning, Boulevard Brewery opened Ripple Glass, a state-of-the-art processing facility for glass recycling and reclamation.
Residents are now able to drop off their jars and bottles at 60 locations around the city. Ripple collects, sorts and crushes the glass, and then ships it to Owens Corning to be melted and spun into fiberglass insulation.
The result is a win-win for the community and the environment. Read the case study.
