CertainTeed Corporation is being honored with a 2010 Communitas Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The award recognizes the company’s sustainable business practices and overarching commitment to environmental stewardship.
“Sustainability and the preservation of the environment is deeply rooted in CertainTeed’s mission, vision and corporate values,” says Aman Desouza, director of innovation and product sustainability for CertainTeed. “We're honored to be a recipient of the 2010 Communitas Award.”
CertainTeed is committed to innovative sustainable building products design, responsible manufacturing practices and safe, healthy working environments. Recent product innovations include
- Sustainable Insulation™, a fiberglass insulation product made from a formaldehyde-free binder, 50% renewable content and 35% recycled glass;
- the EnerGen™photovoltaic roofing system that generates electricity without requiring the installation of traditional solar panels;
- AirRenew™, a revolutionary gypsum board that helps improve indoor air quality by permanently reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) circulating indoors.
Sources report CertainTeed has not only made sustainability an integral part of its own mission, but also provides sustainable education and programs to builders, architects, contractors and consumers in hopes of further increasing the impact on its communities. Employees at CertainTeed’s facilities participate in the Saint-Gobain International Environment, Health and Safety Day, an annual event dedicated to environmental awareness, emergency preparedness, healthy living and workplace safety.
Additionally, the company’s efforts to reduce energy usage at its facilities have been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award.
Along with the company’s established programs and procedures to develop sustainable products and continuously enhance education and safety, CertainTeed is also dedicated to reducing its environmental footprint. CertainTeed products use of recycled content helps lessen its impact by maximizing the use of raw materials and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. Gypsum products use 100% post-consumer recycled paper and fence, railing and deck products contain up to 75% recycled materials. CertainTeed’s Canadian manufacturing plants have the highest recycled content for insulation in North America with many products containing 70% recycled content.
Facilitated by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the Communitas Awards are an international effort that recognizes businesses, organizations and individuals for excellence in community service and corporate social responsibility. Recognizing the spirit of communitas, or people helping people, Communitas award winners make "giving back" to their communities a priority.