Sustainability is increasingly important to Australians, and this extends into the construction sector, from selecting eco-friendly building materials to more considered supply chains. This consideration includes exterior cladding material choice – and cladding made from aluminium is renowned for its sustainability.
Key Insights
· Australia’s building materials are increasingly scrutinised in terms of their sustainability. Aluminium as a cladding material consistently performs well and is favoured for its eco-friendliness.
· Solid aluminium cladding and non-combustible aluminium composite cladding panels combine strength, durability, weather-resistance, fire safety, energy efficiency, and recyclability. They represent an environmentally friendly option for modern architects and builders.
· ALPOLIC™NC/A1 DtS non-combustible cladding is an aluminium composite panel system designed to comply with Australia’s environment and fire safety standards. These panels are highly sustainable; they use a large volume of recycled content; manufacturing processes are energy-efficient; and they are fully recyclable at the end of their lifespan.
Sustainability: What Does it Mean?
“Sustainability” refers to the practice of using the Earth’s resources to meet our current needs in ways that will not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It strives to strike a balance between the planet, people, and profits. Environmentally, this means protecting and preserving the natural world, clean air, clean water, and resources.
Aluminium: What Makes it a Sustainable Material?
What is Aluminium? Aluminium is a lightweight, versatile, corrosion-resistant metal. It is extracted from bauxite, which is solid rock comprised of an ore of aluminium oxides, iron, and clay. Australia is the world’s largest producer of bauxite.
Recyclability: Although the process of extracting, refining, and smelting aluminium uses a lot of energy, the metal is infinitely reusable and 100% recyclable. It loses no quality or structural integrity, no matter how many times it is recycled, and recycling old aluminium uses only a tiny fraction of the energy that it does to produce new metal from bauxite ore. This significantly reduces its carbon footprint.
Lightweight: Strong and very lightweight, aluminium (when compared with other cladding materials) reduces the load on a building’s foundation and substructure. This means less material is required overall to support cladding installation. Moreover, transportation fuel requirements are lower, as are resultant emissions; greater volumes of aluminium can be transported in fewer shipments compared with heavy materials such as steel or concrete.
Longevity: A long service life for these cladding panels translates to a reduced need for repairs or replacement. This, in turn, minimises resource demand and waste. Corrosion-resistant, weather-resistant, UV-resistant, robust, and long-lasting, the life of high-quality aluminium cladding outperforms many other alternatives. Properly coated, top-quality non-combustible aluminium cladding can last for 50 years or even longer, and the very best of these products require very minimal maintenance.
Thermal Performance: Choosing the right cladding offers significant benefits in terms of building thermal performance and energy efficiency. It can help minimise interior heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
Non-Combustible Aluminium Composite Cladding Panels
DtS non-combustible aluminium cladding comprises mineral-core aluminium composite panel systems designed to meet strict energy performance and fire safety standards.
For adaptable, sustainable building design, aluminium cladding is unmatched for its physical flexibility and aesthetic versatility, and using it is an effective way to future-proof building design. Aluminium is also an incredibly malleable metal, and panels can be custom fabricated, repurposed, or recycled during refurbishment or at the end of the building’s life. The reuse potential of aluminium aligns beautifully with a “circular” economy; in this model, materials are used for as long as possible, then repurposed or fully recycled.
Additionally, a lot of aluminium used to make these panels is responsibly sourced from the outset. This helps ensure the cladding is produced sustainably throughout the entire manufacturing process. This is another way for architects, builders, and building owners to reduce the impact of extracting raw materials from the Earth and support ethical supply chains.
Why Choose ALPOLIC™NC/A1?
ALPOLIC™ NC/A1 is a DtS non-combustible aluminium cladding product designed for commercial, industrial, and high-rise residential buildings. (ALPOLIC™/fr is a similar product designed for the residential market).
Not only is it among the most versatile and safest non-combustible aluminium cladding products available on the Australian market, but it is an incredibly sustainable option.
Sustainability features of ALPOLIC™ include:
· 100% recyclable (both the aluminium and the mineral core materials)
· Manufacturing ALPOLIC™ panels produces 300% fewer carbon dioxide emissions than producing solid aluminium (at 3mm thickness) does.
· The heat transfer of ALPOLIC™ aluminium composite panels is less than 20% of that for solid aluminium.
· The product has been granted the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) by the Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) Certification Program.
Summing Up…
Aluminium is a superior, environmentally sustainable cladding material thanks to its high-performance in terms of recyclability, corrosion-resistance, durability, light weight, low maintenance requirements, and ease of repurposing. Its use is increasingly prevalent in sustainable modern building design and represents a wise, future-forward investment.
