Manufacturing sustainability is a top priority for GAF. In 2022, the company announced its 2030 Planet Goals to “focus on operational improvements, product transparency, and the introduction of circularity in the asphaltic shingle industry.”
Looking to lead positive change while considering the long-term impact of its business on the planet, GAF identified several goals, including:
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Diverting 1 million tons of roofing materials from landfills while integrating recycled shingle materials into new shingle products
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Diverting 80% of manufacturing waste from landfills, recycling all shingle and TPO scrap that results from the manufacturing process, and recycling or reusing fiberglass mat scraps and cores
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Reducing embodied carbon and operation carbon throughout its manufacturing and operations
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Achieving Environmental Product Declarations for its core products, conducting life cycle assessments, and generating 2.5 GW of power from solar roofs in partnership with GAF Energy
Meeting these goals takes time, resources, innovation, and ingenuity, all backed by a team working to build a better world. Every GAF location is striving to meet the company’s goals. Looking back on the progress made in 2023, some impressive accomplishments are bringing the company closer to achieving full manufacturing sustainability.
Residential Manufacturing
The GAF Mt. Vernon, Indiana, shingle manufacturing plant worked toward achieving sustainable operations through robust recycling efforts. The team established a shingle recycling outlet estimated to divert thousands of tons of asphalt shingles from landfills annually. This has eliminated thousands of dollars in disposal fees and reduced transportation costs.
The Mt. Vernon staff found creative ways to keep complex waste materials out of landfills, including working with a local golf course that could take the plant’s waste sand. The team implemented an internal recycling program that includes cardboard and packaging materials, increasing its waste diversion score.
Commercial Manufacturing
At the Gainesville, Texas, plant that manufactures TPO and Polyiso, team members earned the area’s first waste diversion certification for both products’ waste streams. They also earned a recycled content certification for each.
The plant established a trial program with a plastics recycler to reprocess TPO skin material for reuse in manufacturing new material. Recycling and reusing would divert thousands of tons of waste from landfills and use recycled materials in manufacturing flexible TPO for flashings.
The plant also developed a program with a local recycling company that serves as a single source to take its pallets, large cardboard boxes, facers, paper, and plastics.
Sustainability All-Stars
Recycling and manufacturing sustainability programs wouldn’t be possible without the people behind the initiatives. GAF is proud to spotlight these individuals who went above and beyond to meet the company’s sustainability goals.
Maribel Sargent is a seasoned writer with a deep-rooted passion for the roofing industry. With over 7 years of experience crafting informative and engaging content, she has established herself as a trusted authority in the field. Her expertise lies in translating complex roofing concepts into easily understandable articles for both industry professionals and homeowners.
