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BETTESWORTHConstruction
aluminium building products

What to Check Before Buying Recycled Aluminium Building Products

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Before ordering recycled aluminium windows, doors, curtain walls, profiles, sheets or composite panels, verify three separate things: the actual recycled-content calculation, the evidence linking that material to your product, and the product’s performance for your building and jurisdiction. A percentage on a brochure is not enough. Request a product-specific statement, inspect any chain-of-custody claim, read the complete EPD (including Module D), and confirm conformity documents for the intended use.

Start by separating the claims you are buying

“Recycled aluminium” can describe several different attributes. They are related, but they answer different procurement questions:

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  • Recycled content: how much of the aluminium input, under the supplier’s stated calculation boundary, comes from qualifying scrap.
  • Chain of custody: whether documented, auditable records connect material moving through the supply chain to the claim made about your product.
  • Environmental performance: the impacts reported in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for a defined product, unit and life-cycle model.
  • Recyclability: what may happen to the product after demolition or replacement. This is not the same as recycled input at manufacture.
  • Technical suitability: whether the product meets structural, weather, fire, thermal, acoustic, durability and regulatory requirements for your project.

Evaluate each attribute independently. A product can have a high recycled-content figure but no product-specific chain-of-custody evidence, or a strong EPD but insufficient fire performance for the proposed use.

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Ask for a product-specific recycled-content statement

Request a dated statement that names the exact product or product family, not merely the supplier’s general aluminium range. The statement should give recycled content as a percentage and explain the calculation boundary.

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Questions the statement should answer

  • What is the percentage by mass?
  • Does the figure include post-consumer scrap, pre-consumer scrap, or both?
  • What denominator is used: total aluminium in the finished product, a billet, an alloy charge, or another defined input?
  • Does the percentage apply to one product, a manufacturing site, an alloy family, or a broad catalogue?
  • What period, production batch or supplier declaration does it cover?
  • Which accounting rule or programme defines the scrap categories?

European Aluminium’s EPD programme rules define pre-consumer aluminium scrap as scrap generated along the production chain and post-consumer scrap as material generated at the end of a product’s life. The rules also state that production scrap generated in the same product chain and returned to that chain is modelled as closed-loop within Module A and does not contribute to the product’s recycled content. Read the definitions and boundary in the European Aluminium EPD Programme Rules before accepting a bare percentage.

Why scrap definitions change the result

“Factory scrap” is not automatically equivalent to post-consumer recycled metal. A supplier may remelt clean process off-cuts from its own line, while another may use metal recovered from demolished buildings. Those streams have different circularity implications and may be treated differently by the applicable programme rules. Ask the supplier to identify each stream and explain whether it is counted in the published percentage.

Verify chain-of-custody claims separately

A chain-of-custody (CoC) claim answers a sourcing and accounting question: can the claimed material be followed through documented transactions and reconciliations? It does not, by itself, tell you the recycled percentage of the finished item.

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The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Chain of Custody Standard sets requirements for linked supply-chain documentation and material accounting. ASI states that “CoC Certification is mandatory for businesses that make any product-related claims relating to production or sourcing of CoC Material (ASI Bauxite, ASI Alumina and ASI Aluminium), as defined in the ASI CoC Standard.” Check the current standard and certification information at ASI’s Chain of Custody Standard page.

Documents to request

  • The exact wording of the claim proposed for your product.
  • The certificate holder’s legal name, site or sites covered, and certification status.
  • The scope: bauxite, alumina, aluminium, recycled material, or a specified product line.
  • Delivery notes, mass-balance records or other documents that connect the certified material to your order and relevant supply-chain stage.
  • Any restrictions on using the claim in project specifications, tenders or marketing.

Do not accept a logo or a generic certificate PDF without checking whether your supplier, manufacturing site and product fall inside the stated scope and validity period. If the claim is made by a distributor, ask how the distributor’s invoice and batch records connect to the certified producer.

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Read the EPD as a technical document, not a recycled-content badge

An EPD is a standardised environmental declaration. It reports life-cycle impacts according to stated rules; it is not automatically a product-specific certificate of recycled content. EN 15804 sets requirements for declared information, life-cycle stages, indicators, scenarios, data quality and the conditions under which construction-product EPDs can support comparisons. The NEN listing for NEN-EN 15804:2012+A2:2019 identifies the applicable European standard.

Check these fields on every EPD

  1. Product and manufacturer: confirm that the declaration covers the item, alloy, finish and manufacturing site you are buying.
  2. Product scope: determine whether it covers a specific model, an average product, a product family or an industry-average dataset.
  3. Declared or functional unit: examples might be a mass of aluminium, a square metre of window or another stated unit. Do not compare values expressed in incompatible units.
  4. Product Category Rules (PCR): record the PCR version and programme operator. Different rules can change boundaries and assumptions.
  5. Life-cycle modules: note which stages are reported—raw-material supply, manufacturing, transport, installation, use, end of life and Module D.
  6. Geography and scenarios: check electricity mix, transport distances, service life, maintenance and end-of-life assumptions.
  7. Data quality: look for the age, source and representativeness of primary and secondary data.
  8. Verification: identify the independent verifier, verification date and programme requirements.
  9. Status: confirm issue date, expiry date and whether the declaration remains valid for the tender or purchase date.

The German Environment Agency describes independent third-party review of EPDs and underlying life-cycle-assessment data as part of the quality framework. Its explanation of EPDs for construction products is available at Umweltbundesamt. A published EPD without current verification or a clear validity status should not be treated as equivalent to a current, verified declaration.

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Compare only like with like

Two EPDs can both comply with EN 15804 and still be unsuitable for a simple ranking if they cover different products, units, electricity mixes, service lives or modules. Use a common declared or functional unit and compatible product boundaries. If one declaration reports a window per square metre and another reports uncoated extrusion per kilogram, convert only when the necessary technical data and assumptions are available; otherwise explain why a numerical comparison is not valid.

Understand Module D and avoid double counting

Recycled input and end-of-life recovery occur at different points in the life cycle. Production-stage recycled content describes what enters the product system. Module D reports additional benefits or loads beyond that system when material is reused or recycled after the product’s life.

European Aluminium’s February 2025 guidance, Strengthening EPD Robustness — Best Practices for Module D, explains that Module D should use the net secondary-material flow leaving the product life cycle. This prevents the same benefit from being counted once as recycled content at production and again as an end-of-life credit.

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How to read the end-of-life calculation

  • Find the assumed collection, sorting, remelting and disposal routes.
  • Check whether the model uses net secondary material after accounting for the recycled input already credited in the product system.
  • Record whether Module D is reported separately from Modules A, B and C.
  • Do not treat a high Module D credit as proof that the new product contains a high recycled percentage.

The 2025 guidance gives industry-level context: aluminium reuse and recycling can provide “up to 95%” energy and greenhouse-gas savings compared with primary production, while end-of-life recycling rates for aluminium building products “typically exceed 90%.” These are not guaranteed savings or the recycled-content percentage of a particular product; actual results depend on product, process, location and the EPD model.

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The same paper’s simplified example uses a sheet with 40% recycled metal and a 90% end-of-life recycling rate, resulting in a 50% net flow for Module D. That arithmetic is an illustration of accounting, not a market average or a recommended specification.

Confirm technical performance and legal compliance

Environmental evidence does not establish that a product is safe or suitable for the building. Obtain the technical data sheet, test reports, declarations of performance, installation instructions, maintenance requirements and warranty terms for the exact configuration.

Match documents to the application

  • Windows and external doors: for EU projects, check the applicable requirements associated with EN 14351-1.
  • Fire- or smoke-resisting products: check the relevant EN 16034 documentation and classification.
  • Curtain walls: check the documentation associated with EN 13830.
  • Profiles, sheets and composite panels: identify the standard, reaction-to-fire class, structural data, coating specification and installation system required by the design.

European Aluminium lists these examples in its standards and life-cycle-assessment material at European Aluminium’s standards guidance. They are EU examples, not a universal code checklist. Your building control authority, contract specification and national rules may require additional tests, marks or declarations.

Performance details that are easy to miss

  • Thermal transmittance of the complete assembly, not just the aluminium section.
  • Air permeability, watertightness and wind resistance for windows, doors and curtain walls.
  • Fire, smoke and reaction-to-fire classifications where required.
  • Acoustic ratings, solar control and condensation risk.
  • Alloy, temper, coating or anodising specification and colour tolerance.
  • Design service life, corrosion exposure category, cleaning frequency and replacement parts.
  • Compatibility with adjacent materials, fasteners, sealants and thermal breaks.

Use a comparison sheet before selecting a product

When two or more candidates meet the basic design brief, compare the evidence in one record. “Higher recycled content” should never be the only decision rule.

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Check Candidate A Candidate B What to verify
Recycled content Record the stated percentage Record the stated percentage Product scope, denominator and date
Material categories Post-consumer, pre-consumer or both Post-consumer, pre-consumer or both Definitions and treatment of closed-loop production scrap
Chain of custody Certificate and claim scope Certificate and claim scope Site, product, transaction records and validity
EPD Programme, PCR, unit and modules Programme, PCR, unit and modules Comparable boundaries and scenarios
Verification Verifier and status Verifier and status Independent review and expiry date
Module D Net secondary-material method Net secondary-material method No double counting with recycled content
Technical compliance Tests, classifications and declaration Tests, classifications and declaration Intended use and jurisdiction
Delivery and cost Lead time, minimum order and installed cost Lead time, minimum order and installed cost Whole-project consequences, not material price alone

Fill “not stated” where a document does not disclose a value. Do not infer a percentage, verification status or performance rating from a marketing term.

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A practical procurement workflow

  1. Define the use first. Write down the element type, dimensions, exposure, thermal and acoustic targets, fire requirements, design life, finish and jurisdiction.
  2. Shortlist compliant products. Eliminate candidates that cannot provide the required technical documents before comparing environmental claims.
  3. Request the environmental pack. Ask for the product-specific recycled-content statement, EPD, CoC evidence (if claimed), certificates, verification records and validity dates.
  4. Audit the recycled-content number. Identify post-consumer and pre-consumer shares, denominator, product boundary and treatment of closed-loop scrap.
  5. Audit the CoC claim. Match the certificate holder and site to the proposed product and obtain records connecting the claim to your order.
  6. Read the EPD line by line. Capture unit, PCR, scope, modules, geography, data quality, verifier and expiry status.
  7. Review Module D separately. Confirm that end-of-life benefits use net secondary flow and are not counted again as recycled input.
  8. Check supply and installation. Confirm batch consistency, lead time, minimum quantities, fabrication capability, replacement availability and installer competence.
  9. Document the decision. Keep the accepted claim wording and the exact versions of all documents in the project file so substitutions can be screened later.

Red flags and how to resolve them

“Up to” percentages

A maximum or range may describe only selected alloys, factories or batches. Ask for the actual percentage applicable to your order and the conditions behind it.

One certificate for an entire catalogue

A company-level certificate may not cover every site or product. Request the scope and confirm that the manufacturing location and product family are included.

EPD with no clear unit or expiry

Without a declared unit, scope and validity date, meaningful comparison is impossible. Ask the programme operator or supplier for the complete current declaration.

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Recyclability presented as recycled content

End-of-life collection rates and Module D credits describe future recovery assumptions. They do not establish how much recycled metal is in the product delivered today.

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Environmental claim with no technical file

Pause procurement until the supplier provides performance classifications, declarations and installation requirements for the intended use. Environmental documentation cannot replace statutory conformity evidence.

Evaluate total suitability, not a single percentage

The best choice balances environmental evidence with performance, durability, maintenance, availability and cost. A product that cannot be delivered in the specified alloy, finish or fire classification may create more waste and delay than a nominally lower-content alternative that is available, durable and correctly installed.

Include fabrication scrap, transport, installation accessories, replacement parts, cleaning, expected service life and end-of-life arrangements in the project cost review. Ask whether the supplier can maintain the same environmental and technical specification for future batches and replacement components.

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No universal recycled-content threshold applies to every aluminium building product. The appropriate requirement depends on the project brief, procurement policy, certification scheme and local rules. Set a project-specific threshold only after confirming that the measurement method, product boundary and evidence are consistent.

Geography and jurisdiction matter

The EPD guidance cited here is based on European construction-product rules, while ASI describes its standards as applicable across the global aluminium value chain. Certification availability, building regulations, marking systems and accepted test methods vary by market. For a project outside Europe, use the local conformity route and confirm that an imported EPD or certificate is accepted by the client, authority and rating system.

For EU work, treat EN 14351-1, EN 16034 and EN 13830 as examples linked to particular product types, not as a complete design specification. For every jurisdiction, ask the architect, engineer, building-control professional or fire specialist which current editions and national annexes apply.

What a complete buying file should contain

  • Product name, model, alloy, finish, manufacturing site and revision date.
  • Recycled-content percentage with post-consumer/pre-consumer split, denominator and scrap accounting.
  • Current EPD with declared unit, PCR, programme operator, modules, scenarios, verifier and expiry date.
  • Chain-of-custody certificate and transaction or mass-balance records when a sourcing claim is made.
  • Technical data sheets, test reports, declarations of performance and installation instructions.
  • Fire, thermal, acoustic, structural and durability evidence required for the specific use.
  • Quotation, lead time, minimum order, maintenance schedule and replacement arrangements.
  • Approved claim wording for tender documents and a process for checking substitutions.

Keeping these records together lets the design team, contractor and client verify that the product installed is the product evaluated—not merely a similar item carrying the same environmental language.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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