Sustainability

Sustainability in the building sector should be considered from many different angles, both on building and product level. Our joinery systems are made of one of the most circular materials available, aluminium. It can be recycled an infinite amount of times, without loss of quality. Moreover, as a standard, we provide low carbon building elements, such as low-carbon aluminium profiles and thermal breaks. Reynaers Aluminium is ASI Standard certified, meaning that the aluminium we use in our systems is ethically sourced, with respect for people and our planet. And we participate in local closed-loop systems to limit waste and support end-to-end traceability.

Next to responsible sourcing tactics, we apply Eco Design principles that help minimise the impact of our systems even further. Increasing the lifespan of our solutions and buildings starts at the drawing board by designing out waste, designing in modularity, designing for adaptability and flexibility, designing with disassembly in mind, ... Nothing is left to chance.

Most of our systems come in multiple insulation levels, down to Passive House thermal performance. By focusing on energy efficiency and weather performance, tested and verified in our expansive Technology Centre, we help limit the operational carbon emissions of buildings drastically.

Finally, by providing clear and official documentation, we can help professionals earn green building certificates and navigate sustainable legislation more easily. We are your expert guide that provide the right tools and solutions for your building needs.

Sustainability. From Every Angle is Reynaers Aluminium's point of view on how it can support the building sector and its partners in the value chain to become more sustainable. The messaging focuses on the many dimensions of sustainability in the construction sector, looking beyond carbon figures as such and considering the impact of building materials and processes during the full lifecycle of a building.

Reynaers Act is the over-arching corporate sustainability program of Reynaers Group, launched in 2021. It encompasses many different sustainable initiatives, including the yearly sustainability report "Our sustainable road ahead".

Sustainability in the building sector is a fast-paced topic, one that is ever-evolving, multi-layered and complex. For many dimensions, the construction sector is still at an early stage, exploring the different questions. And not all questions have ready answers.

Besides the dimensions we mention on our website, we keep a close eye on ongoing evolutions and anticipate trends with an open mindset to better answer the question: "What makes a building sustainable?"

While "low-carbon" primary aluminium is not formally defined, it encompasses all virgin material with a carbon footprint equal to or lower than 4.38 kgCO2/kg aluminium (billet + extrusion). In practice, low-carbon aluminium is a mix of recycled aluminium and low-carbon primary aluminium produced with clean energy.

For a full analysis of the topic, you can visit the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) website for more details.

The average carbon footprint of our aluminium profiles in 2025 is 3.31 kg CO2e/kg aluminium (billet + extrusion), which is a -35% reduction compared to our 2019 baseline. We plan to further reduce it to 2.81 by 2030 (-46% vs. 2019), which is in line with EU Green Deal legislation.

Additionally, more than 80% of our aluminium supply consists of low-carbon aluminium (European distribution network).

A standard thermal break is made of polyamide - a high-performance polymer - reinforced with glass fiber. That's roughly 75% polyamide and 20% glass fiber. Low-carbon thermal breaks use the same materials, but with one key difference: the polyamide is 100% recycled. So, low-carbon thermal break = 75% polyamide (100% recycled) + 25% glass fibre.

This is what is expected by the EU Green Deal to decarbonise the building sector.

In Europe, the Green Deal demands the construction sector to cut buildings' "embodied" carbon by 50% by 2030, with at least 50% of low-carbon materials. If you are an architect or contractor, it makes sense to tackle the biggest impact areas first: steel and concrete. We do the same at Reynaers Aluminium, focusing on our key materials: aluminium and thermal breaks.

And yes, aluminium profiles only account for 3% of a building's carbon footprint, and thermal breaks even for a smaller portion. Yet we do our share of the work, because every detail counts when you are building for a better future. 

Carbon accounting in the building sector is the process of measuring and tracking the greenhouse gas emissions produced during the lifecycle of a building. It helps to understand a project's climate impact by calculating emissions across operations, energy use and supply chains. With this data, building professionals can set reduction targets, report transparently and take action to lower their carbon footprint, which is required by EU Green Deal standards.

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global non-profit organisation that sets sustainability standards for the entire aluminium value chain, from raw material extraction to recycling. Its certification system verifies that aluminium is produced, sourced and processed according to strict environmental, social and governance criteria.

By working with ASI-certified partners like Reynaers Aluminium, you can help ensure responsible aluminium production, transparency in the supply chain, and continuous improvements in sustainability performance.

ASI certification promotes responsible sourcing by setting clear sustainability criteria for every stage of aluminium production and processing. Companies certified under the ASI Performance Standard must demonstrate compliance with environmental and social requirements through independent audits.

By supporting the ASI framework, Reynaers Aluminium strengthens transparency across its supply chain and helps drive the transition towards more sustainable aluminium solutions for windows, doors and façade systems.

ASI certification provides independent verification that aluminium is responsibly produced and sourced. The standard addresses key sustainability topics such as greenhouse-gas emissions, resource management, biodiversity, labour rights and occupational health and safety across the aluminium supply chain. 

For architects, developers and fabricators, specifying ASI-certified aluminium increases confidence that building materials meet recognised sustainability standards and support responsible sourcing in construction projects.

At Reynaers Aluminium, we are convinced you have to consider sustainability from every angle if you want to see the bigger picture. Is the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative the perfect framework to ensure responsible sourcing? Not necessarily. Is it the holy grail to help build a more sustainable future? Probably not.

However, ASI is living proof of a sector-wide commitment to do better. It is an acknowledgement of the industry that when it comes to the material's journey from bauxite mines to the end user, changes need to be made for the planet and people. While it will not solve all problems, ASI certification is definitely a step in the right direction.

A closed-loop system means that materials are reused and recycled within the same production cycle in a responsible way, instead of becoming waste. In the case of aluminium building components, end-of-life profiles can be collected, processed and remelted into new aluminium billets, which are then used to produce new windows, doors or façade systems. Because aluminium can be recycled endlessly without losing quality, it is an ideal material for circular construction and long-term resource efficiency.

Instead of a "Take - Make - Dispose" approach, Reynaers Aluminium adheres to a "Repair - Reuse - Redesign" circular philosophy.

Aluminium is one of the most circular materials used in construction. It can be recycled an infinite amount of times, without losing its structural or aesthetic properties. In fact, 95% of aluminium used in buildings is recovered and reintroduced into new products, reducing the need for primary raw materials and lowering the environmental impact of future projects.

However, there's a catch. 75% of aluminium ever produced is currently still in use, which makes recycled aluminium a coveted material that is hard to come by. In Europe, recycled supply will never meet demand, which is why Reynaers Aluminium prefers to take its fair share of the recycled content and mix it with primary aluminium produced with clean energy to create low-carbon aluminium.

A circular and sustainable value chain is a closed-loop system focused on ethical sourcing, reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling.

We focus on low-carbon building elements, responsible sourcing practices and material take-back schemes to involve our partners across the value chain and make a positive impact on the carbon impact of our processes and buildings alike.

By integrating sustainability into the design stage, we ensure lasting, future-ready solutions. We call this 'value engineering'. To empower our partners even more, we offer reliable tools and credible insights as an expert partner. Traceability of information, support in achieving green building certifications, and EU Green Deal compliance are key concerns.

ReTurn is a Reynaers Aluminium close-the-loop framework, launched in 2025. Our goal, together with our partners, is to create a local recycling system, in full transparency and traceability, extending the lifetime of valuable resources.

The system is currently active in a handful of countries and focuses on return schemes for cardboard packaging and aluminium scrap material, originating from fabricator workshops and building sites.

The ReTurn aluminium initiative has been launched officially in our Belgian home market in 2025. We are exploring if we can apply this close-the-loop process in other markets in the near future.

In 2026, our take-back scheme for packaging will be introduced at strategic partners in Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and France. Upon initial review, we will determine how to scale up the initiative and bring ReTurn to even more countries.

If you are a fabricator and you want to learn more about the ReTurn initiative, or you want to join the circular movement, you can contact your local Customer Service agent for more information.

When it comes to the ReTurn Packaging initiative, you can only return reusable cardboard pieces and folding boxes to Reynaers Aluminium headquarters. All components carry the ReTurn logo. Other production waste is not allowed.

On our international website, we share a detailed description on how you can send the reusable packaging materials back to our offices. The instructions are available in English, Dutch, French, German and Polish. 

Less is more, especially when it comes to packaging. In 2025, we revisited the design of our packaging to reduce the volume of cardboard (-45%) and plastics (-21%) we use at our Central Distribution center in Duffel. Our partners enjoy the same high-quality delivery, while reducing unnecessary waste.

Next, the ReTurn packaging initiative is a closed-loop system that supports fabricators in returning reusable packaging to Reynaers Aluminium headquarters. Long single-use cardboard sheets are replaced by reusable cardboard pieces. Cardboard boxes to package accessories are being replaced by reusable folding boxes, made from recycled plastic, that can be tracked, traced and returned in a fully local supply chain.

With the EPD Builder, architects and fabricators can receive a Project-specific EPD. This environmental impact declaration is based on the actual volumes, configurations and systems specified by the architect. The EPD Builder helps architects to make evidence-based decisions that reduce embodied carbon without compromising on performance. When initial simulation does not meet envisioned carbon or recycled content targets, optimised sourcing can be requested directly in the EPD Builder tool.

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a third-party verified, internationally recognized disclosure of a product's environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. EPDs are voluntarily developed and their overall goal is to provide relevant, verified and clear information regarding the environmental performance of products. The basis of the EPD is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the product, in accordance to ISO 14025 and EN 15804+A2.

A Product EPD covers a specific aluminium system or product variant and is designed for the early design phase, when the bill of materials and quantities are not yet fixed. It helps architects assess the environmental impact of different Reynaers Aluminium system solutions. All our Product EPDs are available in our download section.

A Project-specific EPD is generated at tender stage, based on the actual volumes and sourcing of a specific project, and reflects the real carbon footprint of that finalised design. The EPD Builder, the generating process behind it and the generated EPDs are third-party verified by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (IBU), which adds credibility to all stakeholders who use them, and the decisions they make.

We currently provide generic Product EPDs for our most important systems in our download section. But with the help of the EPD Builder, this number will grow exponentially, as trustworthy EPDs can be generated of virtually any variant combination we can offer for windows, doors, sliding doors and façades. The number of Project-specific EPDs is endless.

The EPD Builder tool is third-party verified by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (IBU). All EPDs created in the Reynaers Aluminium EPD Builder are therefore IBU-verified EPDs, which adds to the credibility of the information and supports your sustainable decision making process. Both our Product EPDs and Project-specific EPDs are based on ReynaPro configurations, complemented with reliable in-house data.

Sustainability documentation is increasingly becoming a differentiator in competitive tenders. Architects and general contractors working on sustainable projects are actively seeking fabricators who can provide verified environmental data and digital product passport information. By offering Product EPDs and Project-specific EPDs, and by making valuable data easy to find via DigiTrace, fabricators demonstrate a level of transparency and professionalism that sets them apart. With little to no additional effort or onboarding, compliance turns into a commercial advantage rather than an administrative burden.

A Digital Product Passport is a structured digital document that holds verified information about a product's material composition, environmental impact, and end-of-life options. Under the EU Green Deal, Digital Product Passports are set to become mandatory for a wide range of building elements. Reynaers Aluminium's digital product passport is called DigiTrace, and it helps architects, fabricators and building owners to access and share this information throughout the entire building lifecycle.

DigiTrace can help extend the lifetime of buildings by offering clear information that helps you maintain, repair, recycle or reuse building elements in a truly circular way. Important sustainability documentation is included, such as EPDs, maintenance guidelines and material composition details.

Not only does the DigiTrace QR code system contain a wide range of important system data and documentation, it also facilitates direct communication between fabricators, installers, architects and customers. With just a few clicks, possible errors are flagged within the DigiTrace platform, both during and after installation. By adding images to the report, you can assess possible next steps remotely, without having the need of going on site each time. With the help of DigiTrace, you improve your customers’ experience, while spending your valuable time more efficiently.

Yes. DigiTrace is a web-based platform where the responsible fabricator can upload all sorts of important information and documentation, from performance data to maintenance guidelines. By scanning the QR code, everybody can access the information. The tool can also be used by architects and building owners to flag possible malfunctions with the fabricator.

The standard DigiTrace package is free to use for all Reynaers Aluminium fabricators. Standard and personalized labels can be ordered at a fixed price. Some licensed add-ons, such as the Installation Module, come at a monthly fee. For more information and ratings, please contact your local Reynaers Aluminium representative.