Dutch facade industry leads the way in circular economy

'QUALITY AND CIRCULARITY ARE OUR FOCAL POINTS'

Manufacturers in the facade industry are taking joint responsibility for making the transition to a circular economy. The facade industry is making a concerted effort to turn what was once a facade into a facade again. The aim is to maintain the highest possible quality of facades, facade products and materials for the next cycle. And in the Netherlands we have already come quite far in this regard. Speaking is Henk Zoontjens, director of trade association VMRG, which represents metal facade construction.

Guaranteed quality

"Quality is one of the pillars of our industry association," says Zoontjens. "The longest possible lifespan starts with the quality of a product. Aluminum and steel are already by nature materials with a very long lifespan of 75 to even 100 years. But of course it's also about the products made from them, the windows, doors and curtain walls, and how they are subsequently assembled. All producers affiliated with us supply under the VMRG Quality Mark. They are audited annually by an independent inspection company to check whether the company meets the high VMRG Quality Requirements. With the VMRG Quality Mark we not only offer guaranteed quality towards customers, but also a good basis for circularity."

Circular Facade Economy

The VMRG is one of the initiators of the Circular Facade Economy, in which five industry associations are working together. Together they want to further increase the share of circular for facades and ensure a permanent CO2 reduction in the cycles. Zoontjens: "Within VMRG we are already well on the way. Aluminum and steel lend themselves extremely well to reuse because of their long lifespans and, moreover, both materials can be recycled endlessly. Many metal facade products already consist of a large percentage of recycled material. The beauty of recycling metal is that it takes only a fraction (5%) of the energy when compared to producing metal from virgin raw materials. In addition, companies are increasingly investing in energy-saving measures and the use of renewable energy."

Collaboration

The Circular Facade Economy consists of industry associations of facade products made of aluminum and steel, wood, plastic, glass and hardware. According to the VMRG director, the Netherlands is leading the way with this: "The facade industry, like the entire construction industry, is strongly divided into materials. However, a building, and therefore a facade, consists of a 'collaboration' of materials. In order to make a facade circular, it is essential to look beyond your own materials. Hence this unique collaboration between these facade industry organizations. And looking beyond your own material not only helps with circularity. It is precisely the diversity of materials that enables the sector to offer innovative and sustainable solutions, without making concessions on performance. It is therefore important to create a level playing field for all materials and facade products to assess performance. The Circular Facade Economy is also committed to that."

The Circular Facade Economy recently introduced the "Dutch Supplement to the Product Category Rules NEN-EN 17213" for Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of frame, window and facade elements. This document is recommended by the National Environmental Database as of January 1, 2025 and will be mandatory as of July 1, 2025. The full document can be found on the website circulargeveleconomie.nl under the heading standards.

Training

Getting and keeping the highest possible quality of facades starts with well-trained people who are always provided with the right knowledge. However, there is no regular training course in facade technology. "VMRG therefore offers various courses specifically aimed at the facade industry with the VMRG Academy," explains Zoontjens. "The content ranges from assembly to fire safety and from materials to statics. We open these courses to everyone. In addition, together with Delft University of Technology, we have initiated a formal Master's degree program called International Facade Master. This master is supported and promoted by a number of our member companies. In addition to training courses, we also organize meetings. Here, too, we share knowledge and keep companies up-to-date. We also ensure that companies can get in touch with each other. Within our industry organization, good cooperation is the basis for great initiatives. We then share this knowledge further via our newsletters and the communication platform especially for members in the background of our website. I have been working in facade construction for almost my entire career and I still haven't finished learning. The facade industry is constantly evolving and as an industry organization we encourage this and like to stay ahead."