What is the SAF environmental statement?
ANODIZER & FINISHER SAF & OUR ENVIRONMENT
Since 1946 SAF has been committed to protecting the environment. We have an exceptional track record of meeting and exceeding State, local and Federal regulations. As a leader in architectural aluminum finishing in the United States, SAF is continually developing and implementing new technology to lead the way in “green” building.
We endorse the use of AAMA 2605 super durable powder coated fluorocarbon resins. AAMA 2605 fluorocarbon powder coatings make it possible to apply low-VOC coatings to aluminum that meet the same stringent requirements of traditional high-VOC liquid AAMA 2605 coatings. VOCs create smog, have been shown to cause cancer in animals, and may cause global warming, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Additionally, SAF has developed a “zero discharge” pretreatment system for its paint department, and is developing a “zero discharge” anodizing line.
SAF has a long history of environmental awareness. In October 1997 the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Pollution Prevention Partners program awarded SAF its “Achievement” level award based on its pollution prevention performance. This acknowledgement was particularly significant in light of the stringent improvement requirements and the company’s achievements in a traditionally dirty industry.
SAF continues to cut air emissions, waste water pollution, hazardous waste and solid waste. This helps the environment and also cuts costs for SAF. In addition to AAMA 2605 powder coatings, SAF has also reduced hazardous solvents from our processing with no loss in product finish quality.
RECYCLING ALUMINUM
Aluminum is one of the most efficient recycled materials. By definition, recycling is a series of activities that includes the collection of items that would otherwise be considered waste. Recycled aluminum requires 95 percent less energy to produce and can be recycled an unlimited number of times. Some more interesting facts:
Americans throw away enough aluminum every 3 months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.
Only around 5% of the CO2 is produced during the recycling process compared to producing raw aluminum (and an even smaller percentage when considering the complete cycle of mining and transporting the aluminum).
The amount of aluminum recycled in 1995 could have built 14 aircraft carriers.
(Source: http://www.in.gov/idem/4543.htm)
SAF’S RAW MATERIAL AND SCRAP
100% of the aluminum we purchase is used in our products, or is sold as aluminum scrap. All aluminum scrap is reprocessed and converted into a usable raw aluminum.
When we purchase aluminum, SAF estimates that 50% of the aluminum we buy is recycled content. About half of the recycled content in our products comes from industrial aluminum scrap (pre-consumer) and the other half comes from post-consumer scrap.
SAF SUPPORTS LEED – THE NEW STANDARD IN SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
SAF is committed to helping building owners achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status for their projects. Architects, contractors, and subcontractors support the US Green Building Council’s Materials and Reuse Credit when they specify and incorporate aluminum products and components into their projects. With their high percentage of recycled content, using SAF products contributes to Material and Resources (MR) credit 4.1 and 4.2. Please advise SAF at the bidding stage of your project if recycled content needs to be certified.
SAF products may contribute to MR credit 4.1 if the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer recycled content constitutes at least 10% of the total value of materials on the project. Achieving MR credit 4.2 increases the percent of recycled content to 20% for the project: therefore, one credit point can be gained from achieving MR credit 4.1 and a second credit point for MR 4.2.
The other primary credit that may be available with our product line is MR credit 5.1 for Regional Materials where 10% of materials are extracted, recovered, or processed as well as manufactured within 500 miles of the project site. Similar to the credit for recyclable content, an additional credit may be available for MR 5.2 if the total credit value reaches 20%. This requirement reinforces LEED’s intent to reduce environmental impacts resulting from the transportation of materials.
In certain areas of building design, SAF’s aluminum products may be eligible for points in the ‘Innovation and Design’ (ID) category if the materials are shown to contribute towards substantially exceeding a LEED performance credit. According to LEED, the design team must apply strategies or measures that demonstrate a comprehensive approach and quantifiable environmental health benefits. SAF’s zero discharge processing systems may support the acquisition of an additional LEED point. The high SRI value of SAF products may also be a contributing factor for reducing heat gain. Up to 4 credit points are available in this ID category.