|
JELD-WEN's goal is to be the industry leader in environmentally responsible practices and products and to conduct our business in a manner that is environmentally sustainable, demonstrates environmental stewardship and provides our customers with environmentally beneficial products. Toward that end, we will pursue processes that are designed to minimize waste, maximize efficient utilization of materials and conserve resources and we will provide our customers with products that are long-lasting with excellent performance.
JELD-WEN believes that a healthy environment is not only complementary, but critical to a healthy business. Our mission is to develop high performance, high value products and satisfy our customers' total needs. We will conduct our business with the highest ethical standards, strive for excellence in all we do, and measure success by the relationships we build in the communities where we live and work. To be a successful, unique, progressive, world class company and live up to our mission statement we must minimize our impact on environmental resources and consistently "walk softly on the land." JELD-WEN is committed to environmentally responsible practices and contributing to the sustainability and health of the communities where we operate, not because others expect it, but because it is the right thing to do.
It has been a goal of our company from its beginning to conserve valuable resources in all aspects of our production. Our manufacturing process utilizes recycled waste materials. We manufacture close to markets to minimize fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. We design and produce long-lasting, energy saving windows and doors, and we utilize environmentally sustainable development and management practices for our resort communities. In all our operations around the world we strive to maintain and continually improve our environmental performance.
Founded on a Recycle/Reuse Philosophy
JELD-WEN's commitment to resource responsible manufacturing is rooted in its beginnings. Historically, netting full utilization from a log simply made good economic sense. Almost forty years ago, JELD-WEN perfected a proprietary process for using wood waste to make molded wood fiber interior door facings. Today, JELD-WEN uses recycled and reused materials to produce hundreds of thousands of interior doors and other products each month, including JELD-WEN® Molded Fiber Interior Doors and composite garage doors with facings and trim boards made of 100 percent recycled wood fiber. These practices continue to be central to JELD-WEN's mission to be the low-cost producer in the window and door industry and have contributed to our goal of being the clear global leader in the sale of reliable windows and doors.
In addition, JELD-WEN's molded wood fiber interior doors and garage doors are Scientific Certification System (SCS) certified, which means that the door facings contain at least 51% recycled materials. Our vinyl windows are produced using 15% recycled vinyl waste.
At every opportunity we will encourage our customers to minimize the use of wood pallets and to recycle the packaging material used by JELD-WEN for our window and door products, including cardboard and plastic wrap. By recycling the packaging material our customers can help us protect the environment.
Making it Easy for Our Customers to Beautify their Homes, While Helping the Environment
Producing an energy efficient product that conserves vital natural resources is one of the most significant ways to have a positive impact on our environment, particularly as energy costs continue to rise. JELD-WEN products are designed to save energy, reduce home heating and cooling costs, and keep homes comfortable year-round.
JELD-WEN is proud to offer many ENERGY STAR qualified windows and exterior doors. We have been an ENERGY STAR Partner since 1998 and were honored as the only window or door manufacturer to be the U.S. Department of Energy's 2003 ENERGY STAR "Partner of the Year."
We also strive to meet and often exceed the energy efficiency standards of the countries where we manufacture doors and windows around the world.
Reducing Our "Carbon Footprint" and Increasing Energy Efficiency of Our Operations
Long before it was recognized that carbon emissions were having an impact on our climate, JELD-WEN set out to make sure that our products did not have to travel very far from factory to consumer. What started as a way to keep costs down for our customers is now also our commitment to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from our freight and transport operations. Our manufacturing facilities around the world are built close to markets in order to minimize shipping, a commitment unique in the industry. JELD-WEN windows and doors can be designed and manufactured for specific regions, many times within a 200-500 mile radius of their final destinations.
Part of being good stewards of the environment also involves designing and constructing our buildings and production processes to use as little energy as possible. We will strive to reduce the amount of energy we as a company are required to purchase to operate our plants and offices, and emphasize efficient use of energy and natural resources throughout our operations.
Low-VOC Products
JELD-WEN is a leader in the reduction of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions. The proprietary AuraLast® water-based wood protection process results in a 96 percent decrease of VOCs released during production, compared to the conventional dip treatment process typical in the industry. The development of this process was in response to a huge industry problem - wood rot and/or fungal infestation in wood doors and windows which significantly reduced product life. Not only does AuraLast® address a growing concern about VOC emissions, it also dramatically extends the useful life of the door and window.
AuraLast® comes standard for all U.S.-produced JELD-WEN pine wood windows and patio doors. It is also available in JELD-WEN® Premium Wood exterior pine doors. AuraLast® wood windows and doors are the first to have an industry-leading 20-year warranty against wood decay and termite infestation. Unlike the industry-standard dip treatment, (in which wood is dipped into a petroleum based solution that gives it a thin top coating) AuraLast® wood is created by forcing the active ingredients nearly all the way through the wood into the core through a vacuum/pressure process.
Long-Lasting Products to Reduce Waste
JELD-WEN's long-lasting products, such as those made with AuraLast® wood, and industry-leading warranties mean fewer replacements are needed during the lifetime of windows and doors. Our products are produced to last for future generations. JELD-WEN Custom Fiberglass doors, JELD-WEN Vinyl windows and JELD-WEN Traditional Series composite garage doors (made with recycled content) come with limited lifetime warranties. This impact to the customer and the environment is significant, considering reduced fuel costs for manufacturing and distribution, and greatly reduced waste (longer lasting products reduce additions to landfills and energy consumption required to make replacement products).
Green Building
Green Building is not the latest fad; it is a positive industry direction. In a green building, the materials, design methods and construction techniques are carefully reviewed for their environmental impact. Initially focused on commercial building, sustainable design elements are now being incorporated into residential projects.
JELD-WEN has always believed that making quality products that save energy is good business and good for the environment. We are proud of the fact that we are recognized as an integral part of a new revolution in healthier, lower ecological impact, and resource-saving building construction. In addition, we know that our customers are increasingly demanding green products for their homes, whether they are remodeling or building a new home and it is our goal to provide them with those products. For example, JELD-WEN is replacing historic resins with new formaldehyde free resins.
It is clearly in our interest, in our customers' interest, and in the industry's interest to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in more energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings. To this end, JELD-WEN will continue to participate in the development and implementation of Green Building certification programs that promote credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction products.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system is one national standard for designing and constructing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED® standards are currently available or under development for a variety of building and remodeling project types.
Select JELD-WEN products may assist a designer to achieve commercial LEED certification in the following areas (listing not all-inclusive):
| Energy and Atmosphere |
| | Credit 1.1 | | Optimized Energy Performance |
| | Credit 2.1 & 2.2 | | Renewable Energy |
Materials and Resources
| | Credit 1.1 | | Building Reuse |
| | Credit 4.1 & 4.2 | | Recycled Content |
| | Credit 5.1 & 5.2 | | Local / Regional Materials |
| | Credit 7.0 | | Certified Wood |
Indoor Environmental Quality
| | Credit 2.0 | | Ventilation Effectiveness |
| | Credit 6.1 | | Controllability of Systems |
| | Credit 8.1 & 8.2 | | Daylight & Views |
Innovation and Design Process
| | Credit 1.1 | | Installation & Audit |
| | Credit 1.2 | | AuraLast |
For additional information, visit www.usgbc.org.
JELD-WEN's commitment to the LEED® program is also demonstrated by the recent Gold Rated LEED® certification of a facility we built at our Brasada Ranch development in Central Oregon. This is the first such certification of a building at a resort development in Oregon and one of only four in the nation.
JELD-WEN recently became a member of the Green Building Initiative (GBI). GBI is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable building by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction.
In addition, as an aid to the design community, select JELD-WEN products are listed in the GreenSpec Directory on the BuildingGreen.com website.
We are also working to pursue certification of our products for international green building programs.
Promoting Responsible Management of Forest Resources
Wood is a durable, versatile and beautiful material that has been used for building for centuries. It is non-toxic, recyclable and its growth and replanting removes carbon dioxide from the environment. It has a multitude of uses. For construction purposes, it is the only fully sustainable resource.
We encourage our worldwide suppliers to manage forests consistent with sustainable, renewable forest practices, and watershed and wildlife habitat protection. Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to be able to meet their needs. We recognize that JELD-WEN's future success in wood products manufacturing is dependent on responsible and sustainable forest management.
JELD-WEN is committed to preserving the beauty, value and productivity of the forest land owned and managed by our company. JELD-WEN has planted nearly 3 million trees in the past two decades and our timber harvests never exceed timber growth. We manage for species and size diversity and restock areas damaged by fire and other natural events. Being a responsible and respectful steward of forestland ensures that wildlife and habitat is protected and that there is wood available for use over many years to come.
JELD-WEN supports the land stewardship ethics of Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). We have recently completed our Chain of Custody certification by SFI, which governs all changes of custodianship of our forest-based products during the harvesting, transportation, processing and distribution from the forest to the end-use. Third-party inspections will be conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, an independent auditing firm.
JELD-WEN's production of select wood doors satisfies Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines. FSC promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests and JELD-WEN strives to utilize suppliers who adhere to these practices in their harvest and replanting operations.
A Commitment Throughout the Company
It is not enough for JELD-WEN management to establish values and set goals related to our commitment to being an environmentally sustainable business. These values are shared and acted upon at every level of the company. We know the importance of our employees sharing our commitment and we strive to recruit, educate and train our employees in these values on an ongoing basis throughout their careers with us.
|
