C&L Ward Celebrates Earth Day with Green Products

C&L Ward celebrates earth day this week by focusing on the green products they carry. Andersen® brand windows and Fiberon® decking products not only add beauty to a home, but energy efficiency and are made from recycled products.

WINDOWS
C&L Ward is Michigan’s largest dealer of Andersen Windows®, who is the sustained award recipient of Energy Star®. The ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence distinction is reserved for ENERGY STAR® partners demonstrating outstanding leadership year after year. With Andersen, you’re getting more than just beautiful windows and patio doors. You’re also getting a commitment to energy efficiency and the environment.
For over 100 years, Andersen® has built a reputation for environmental stewardship and energy-efficient products. In fact, Andersen has been part of the ENERGY STAR® program since it started, and was the first window manufacturer to be named an ENERGY STAR® National Window Partner of the Year in 1999.When a customer chooses Andersen® windows and patio doors, you know you’re getting energy-efficient products that help reduce the transfer of heat, so your house requires less energy for heating and cooling. And since the durability of Andersen® products reduces maintenance, painting and the need for replacement, they help save resources and energy in the long run.

Andersen® has the mantra “reduce-reuse-recycle” built into their manufacturing process.

Below, follow one window from tree to installation to learn how the windows we carry are made safe for the environment and other resources are reused:

Wood Sourcing
• Over 70 percent of the wood is sourced from managed forests that maintain the ecological system of their plant and animals.
Transporting Raw Materials
• Andersen has materials such as glass and wood into the manufacturing process by using rail instead of trucks. Rail is known to reduce carbon emissions.
Milling the Wood
• Excess wood is recycled into a smaller component for a different window or door, and sawdust is saved to use in the Fibrex® material or as fuel. Today, 99 percent of their Bayport manufacturing by-products become fuel or are reused, reclaimed or recycled.
• Fibrex material was developed in 1991, and is a blend of 40 percent reclaimed wood fiber by weight and 60 percent thermoplastic polymer by weight, extruded into window and door components. To date, this innovation has helped prevent the harvesting of approximately 90 million board feet of timber.
• Wood by-products are converted into fuel at the Andersen Steam Generating Facility in Bayport. Thermal energy is also recovered from warm water discharged at the nearby Xcel Energy power plant. This thermal energy helps heat the Bayport plant during the winter months. The Bayport Steam Generating Facility provides the entire heating and cooling demand for the 2.5 million square foot Bayport facility and some of its manufacturing power.
Exterior Coating
• Exterior wood components are treated and coated to protect them from wear and decay due to weather damage. At this manufacturing stage, damaged components are evaluated and re-used in other applicable manufacturing processes in order to reduce our solid waste. Landfilled solid waste at the Bayport, Minn., facility has been reduced by over 90 percent since 1990.
Packaging
• Andersen packages use coating with minimal to no content of TRI chemicals, HAPs and/or chlorinated solvents. Corrugated material used on finished window and door packaging is made of materials that can and should be recycled.
Transportation to Distributors
• As a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay® Transport Program, Andersen tracks its private commercial motor vehicle fleet driving performance, excess idle time, emissions and other measures. Andersen uses this data to set standards that result in better fuel efficiency.

Decking

In 2013, C&L Ward added Fiberon® Composite Decking to their product line up and has seen a higher demand for decking products because of it. C& L Ward listened to their customers’ need for more green products. By selecting Fiberon®, they respond to the growing public concern for environmental conservation by offering consumers durable product options that save natural resources, produced in a virtually waste-free manufacturing process. From raw material sourcing to homeowner maintenance, Fiberon® outdoor living products incorporate the following sustainable
practices and benefits:

• Made from Locally-Sourced, Recycled Materials – Up to 74% Recycled Content
• Produced in an Energy Efficient, Virtually Waste-free Manufacturing Process
• Contributes to High Performance Green Buildings
• Safe for Your Home and for the Environment
• Sustainable—Durable Performance Year after Year

“Decking materials are available that are not only long lasting and aesthetically appealing, but also make efficient use of recycled materials,” stated Patrick Ward, President of C & L Ward. “Many homeowners are choosing composite decking as a way to incorporate environmentally sound products into their homes while ensuring durability which stands the test of times and will look great for many years. Using Fiberon has made our customers happy now and will for years to come.”

When replacing or installing a deck, wood-plastic composite decking can provide homeowners with an environmentally friendly option. Fiberon® is made using recycled content, including recovered wood fiber and recycled polyethylene plastics from items such as milk jugs and grocery sacks, keeping what might have been unused waste out of landfills.
Decking material choices have expanded well beyond traditional options. One alternative is wood-plastic composite decking, which is growing in popularity and provides homeowners a decking material that does not need staining or painting – appealing with today’s busy lifestyles. An appealing option because of its classic wood appearance, composite decking is also expected to last two to three times longer than traditional decking materials. Decks built with composite materials resist splintering and are slip-resistant. Their durability also makes composites hold up well to heavy foot traffic.

As homeowners increasingly demand quality green home building materials, composite decking provides a durable and contemporary solution for decks and other outdoor projects. Homeowners benefit from composite decking’s engineered strength, design flexibility and its efficient use of recycled materials. The end result is an inviting deck that is manufactured with sustainability in mind. Beyond decks, composite decking can be used for dock surfaces, hot-tub surrounds, walkways, and yard structures. As more sophisticated home designs have demanded more visually attractive and resilient surfaces, composite decking is a good way to combine an authentic look while maintaining high quality.

 

sources: Andersen Corp, Fiberon