Andersen Corporation, the most trusted name in windows and doors, today announced that its Andersen® and Renewal by Andersen® branded products have received recycled content certification by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). This certification is among the first of its kind in the window and door industry and states the minimum amount of reclaimed materials used in specific products.
Windows and doors made with reclaimed materials promote sustainability and support increasing homeowner and builder efforts to build and remodel “greener” homes. The recycled content in Andersen and Renewal by Andersen products can also help earn credits in emerging and established ratings programs including the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program as well as programs offered through the National Association of Home Builders and others.
SCS certified the amount of pre-consumer recycled content for all Andersen and Renewal by Andersen products based on National Fenestration Rating Council-rated standard window and door sizes. The minimum amount of recycled content for the products certified ranges from 3% to 24%. The recycled material includes pre-consumer recycled glass and wood fiber in the form of Fibrex material, Andersen Corporation’s patented, structural composite material that blends the best attributes of thermoplastics and wood fibers – much of it reclaimed directly from the company’s manufacturing plant operations.
Fibrex material is primarily used in the production of the new Andersen 100 Series window line and Renewal by Andersen Windows.
“We’re proud of the efforts we’ve made as an enterprise over the years to reduce, reuse and recycle at every level, and in developing products that support our sustainability initiatives,” said J Glasnapp, vice president of Corporate Sustainability and Quality at Andersen Corporation. “The validation we’re receiving from independent expert organizations and customers confirms we are doing the right thing.”
About Fibrex® Material
Andersen began producing windows made from wood in 1903, and in 1966 introduced vinyl cladding to help reduce maintenance and increase durability. After decades of experience with these two materials, the company introduced Fibrex® material in 1994. It combines the strength and stability of wood with the low-maintenance features of vinyl.
Fibrex material not only reduces the company’s need for raw timber, but reclaims much of its wood waste stream as well. It provides an efficient use of embodied energy in the reclaimed wood fiber and helps reduce volatile organic compound emissions, since no wood preservative treatment or painting is required. Additionally, converted Fibrex material from the manufacturing process can be reclaimed and reprocessed into new components. Andersen has saved hundreds of thousands of board feet of lumber since its introduction.
Independent testing has found that the material has a low thermal expansion and contraction rate, is resistant to rotting and termites, and retains its rigidity and stability in high temperatures.
About Scientific Certification Systems
For over two decades, SCS has developed internationally recognized standards and certification programs aimed at establishing the highest levels of environmental improvements, social accountability, and product performance. As the leader in third-party, independent green building product certification, SCS was the first company to offer manufacturers a program for verifying the accuracy of environmental claims on products. SCS certification programs for building products include Indoor Air Quality, Sustainable Choice, Environmentally Preferable Products, Recycled Content, Biodegradability, and more. For more information, please visit www.scscertified.com.
About Andersen Corporation
Andersen is a privately-owned business and was founded in 1903 by Danish immigrant Hans Andersen and his family in Hudson, Wisconsin, where logs arrived via the St. Croix River. Andersen Corporation, headquartered in Bayport, Minnesota, is now an international enterprise employing more than 11,000 people in locations across North America with sales worldwide.
Andersen® windows and patio doors help increase your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. Better yet, if you buy them now, you may qualify for a credit of 30% of the product cost up to $1,500 on your federal income tax*.
Renewal by Andersen offers a replacement process that includes an in-home consultation, manufacturing and installation. For more information, visit www.renewalbyandersen.com.
* Many Andersen products with High-Performance™ Low-E4® Sun glass, High-Performance Low-E4 SmartSun™ glass will qualify when used for remodeling, replacement or home improvement. Please consult your tax planner and review all IRS guidelines. Andersen is not a tax advisor.
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