The life cycle of aluminium
A crucial step in your green building project is the choice of sustainable materials. Luckily, a life cycle analysis (LCA) can help you choose the most responsible solution. How does this method work? And what does it tell about the recyclability of aluminium? Find out here.
A life cycle analysis evaluates the environmental impact of products throughout their entire life, from raw material to final disposal – or what we call “end of life”. In the current building industry, recyclability has become a very important subject as companies start evaluating the life cycle of their core materials. Here we focus on the main component of our window, door, and curtain wall solutions: aluminium.
Aluminium life cycle analysis
Data leads to knowledge. That is why AluEco, a foundation that promotes sustainability and recyclability in the construction industry, commissioned a study on the environmental properties of aluminium façade elements. The study is based on the LCA method and was held in cooperation with the Association of Metal Windows and Facade Industry (VMRG) and the Association of Industrial Surface Treatment Netherlands (ION).
AluEco and its partners conducted the life cycle analysis of aluminium profiles for both powder-coated and anodised surface treatment. What turns out? Aluminium façade elements have a lifetime of at least 75 years and a minimum of 95% can be recovered through recycling. In theory, this means façade components can have a total lifetime of 1,500 years!
