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
| Jun 2, 2014
Nonresidential construction spending expands in April
Ten of 16 nonresidential construction subsectors posted increases in spending in April, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.
| Jun 2, 2014
Parking structures group launches LEED-type program for parking garages
The Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, has launched the Green Garage Certification program, the parking industry equivalent of LEED certification.
| Jun 2, 2014
SOM unveils plans for Miami transit hub
The elevated station will be a key portal within All Aboard Florida’s rail system, the nation's only privately owned, operated, and financed rail network.
| Jun 1, 2014
Architect license upon graduation? NCARB aims to accelerate licensing process
Incorporating internship and examination requirements into university education, the regulatory organization looks to simplify and shorten the licensing process.
| May 30, 2014
MIT researchers create 'home in a box' transformable wall system for micro apartments
Dubbed CityHome, the system integrates furniture, storage, exercise equipment, lighting, office equipment, and entertainment systems into a compact wall unit.
| May 30, 2014
Riding high: L.A., Chicago working on their version of the High Line elevated park
Cities around the U.S. are taking notice of New York's highly popular High Line elevated park system. Both Chicago and Los Angeles are currently working on High Line-like projects.
| May 30, 2014
Developer will convert Dallas' storied LTV Building into mixed-use residential tower
New Orleans-based HRI Properties recently completed the purchase of one of the most storied buildings in downtown Dallas. The developer will convert the LTV Building into a mixed-use complex, with 171 hotel rooms and 186 luxury apartments.
| May 29, 2014
Turn your pen-and-paper sketches into digital drawings in seconds with this nifty gadget [video]
Funded through Kickstarter, iSketchnote uses a smart pen to instantly digitize hand-written notes and drawings.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
| May 29, 2014
Wood advocacy groups release 'lessons learned' report on tall wood buildings
The wood-industry advocacy group reThink Wood has released "Summary Report: Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings," with informatino from 10 mid-rise projects in Europe, Australia, and Canada.
