Sika Sarnafil has won the Plastics Recycling Technologies and Applications Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers. Sika's PVC recycling program is designed to recover and recycle vinyl-roofing membrane back into new roofing membrane at the end of its useful life.
The award was presented at the society’s Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC 2011) in Atlanta, and distinguishes the program that was recognized by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs in 2009. Sika Sarnafil is the only single ply roofing manufacturer with a program to recycle old roofs back into roofing membrane at the end of its useful life and the only company to have its recycling claims verified by UL Environment. Since 2004, Sika Sarnafil has recycled 27.4 million pounds of post-industrial vinyl and 852,000 pounds of post-consumer, old roofs since 2005.
“Sika Sarnafil continues to address energy conservation issues with this ground breaking resource recovery program,” said Brian Whelan, Senior Vice President, Sika Sarnafil. “We divert more than 98% of our vinyl raw materials from the waste stream by recycling them into roofing and waterproofing membranes. And, we make it easy for customers to achieve their sustainability goals, with energy-efficient solutions that minimize waste and environmental impact.”
Sika Sarnafil’s major roof recycling projects include:
- Canadian Tire in Toronto – This project demonstrated Canadian Tire’s green policy and implemented the three “R’s of Green” – reduce, reuse, recycle
- General Motors – In a real-world demonstration of “closed loop” recycling, Sika Sarnafil completed the largest vinyl roof recycling project in North America at a General Motors Customer Care & Aftersales building in Lansing, Mich.
- Target – Numerous stores, including a retail center in Silver Spring, Md., have worked with Sika Sarnafil. This roof recycling project contributed to the goal of helping Target to become a “zero waste” company
- The Burlington Coat Factory – A 120,000 sf roof portion of the Briggsmore Shopping Center in Modesto, Calif. was replaced with a new Sika Sarnafil system while the old roof will live on and be recycled into other Sika Sarnafil products.
- University of Iowa, Hawkeye Arena – Always looking for opportunities to recycle materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill, the university was very excited about recycling its old roofing membranes
- The Marriott Long Wharf Hotel on Boston Harbor – Sika Sarnafil’s first major roofing recycling project in North America in 2005, this project kicked off Sika Sarnafil’s roof recycling program.
The program is streamlined and simple, making it easy for contractors and building owners to participate. Sika ships containers and pallets to contractors free of charge. The recycled materials are simply loaded and turned over to Sika for processing. Contractor labor costs related to recycling are minimal, if any, and are often offset by savings in municipal disposal fees. BD+C
Related Stories
| Jul 2, 2014
SHoP designs what would be Brooklyn's tallest building
JDS Development partners with SHoP to construct a 70-story building at 775-feet tall, unprecedented for downtown Brooklyn.
| Jul 2, 2014
The doctor is in the firehouse: New clinic to be built in California fire station
Designed by WRNS Studio, the Firehouse Clinic will encourage local residents with limited healthcare access to consider them as an alternative to the emergency room, especially for preventive care.
| Jul 2, 2014
Emerging trends in commercial flooring
Rectangular tiles, digital graphic applications, the resurgence of terrazzo, and product transparency headline today’s commercial flooring trends.
| Jul 2, 2014
Grimshaw's 'kit of parts' design scheme selected for Qatar sports facilities program
The series of projects, called the Al Farjan Recreational Sports Facilities, have been designed in such a way that the same basic design can be adapted to the specific requirements of each site.
| Jul 1, 2014
Peter Zumthor's LA art museum plan modified with bridge-like section across main thoroughfare
After his design drew concerns about potential damage to LA's La Brea Tar Pits, Peter Zumthor has dramatically revised his concept for the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
| Jul 1, 2014
China's wild circular skyscraper opens in Guangzhou [slideshow]
The 33-story Guanghzou Circle takes the shape of a giant ribbon spool, with the floor space housed in a series of boxes suspended between two massive "wheels."
| Jul 1, 2014
Hyper-speed rendering: How Gensler turns BIM models into beauty shots in seconds
In search of a fast rendering solution, Gensler looked to the gaming and moviemaking industries for the next breakthrough tool: Octane Render.
| Jul 1, 2014
Sochi's 'kinetic façade' may steal the show at the Winter Olympics
The temporary pavilion for Russian telecom operator MegaFon will be wrapped with a massive digital "pin screen" that will morph into the shape of any face.
| Jul 1, 2014
7 ways to cut waste in BIM implementation
Process mapping, split models, and streamlined coordination meetings are among the timesaving techniques AEC firms are employing to improve BIM/VDC workflows.
| Jul 1, 2014
Winning design by 3XN converts modernist bathhouse to university library
Danish firm 3XN's design wins competition for a new educational facility for Mälardalen University in Sweden, which will house a library, communal spaces, and offices for 4,500 students and staff.
