Owens Corning receives Home Depot partner award
Written by Duane Ramsey | | news@toledofreepress.comOwens Corning (OC) was recognized by Home Depot with its Environmental Partner of the Year Award, the only company to earn that distinction in 2011.
The award is based on Home Depot’s Supplier Social and Environmental Responsibility program, which ensures that its suppliers adhere to the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.
The standards of behavior relate to workplace and employment conditions as well as environmental, health and safety practices, according to the company.
“Owens Corning rose above our dedicated group of suppliers with its ongoing commitment to sustainability, safety and reducing their environmental footprint,” Ron Jarvis, senior vice president of Home Depot EcoOptions stated in a news release.
“This award also recognizes the positive difference EcoTouch Insulation makes for Home Depot customers and associates,” he said.
Jarvis addressed company officials and suppliers at a recent awards ceremony, citing how Owens Corning has raised the sustainability bar by setting 2020 goals for product life-cycle assessments and reductions in energy, greenhouse gas, water, toxic emissions, particulate matter and waste-to-landfill measures.
Gale Tedhams of Owens Corning with EcoTouch insulatIon.
“It’s an honor for Owens Corning to be recognized with this award. This validation will encourage us to keep striving to improve our efforts each year,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, vice president and chief sustainability officer at Owens Corning.
EcoTouch became the first fiberglass insulation to be certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a bio-based product. The certification is part of a new USDA labeling initiative to identify products with ingredients made from renewable plant materials.
“EcoTouch Insulation and Home Depot will continue to be a successful combination for homeowners across the country,” Chuck Dana, group president of building materials for Owens Corning stated in the news release.
“Our goal is to deliver Home Depot’s customers the benefits of our relentless pursuit to insulate homes and buildings in the most environmentally sustainable and efficient ways,” he stated.
Owens Corning is working with Home Depot to promote its sustainable products that qualify for LEED for Homes, ENERGYSTAR and other green building programs, according to Gale Tedhams, director of sustainability, green products and communications at Owens Corning.
OC increased the recycled content in its EcoTouch Insulation from 50 to 65 percent, Tedhams said.
Earlier this month, Owens Corning Roofing established a strategic alliance with Earth911 Inc. to expand shingle recycling opportunities for contractors and consumers. Earth911 is the host of the largest single recycling directory in North America.
OC Roofing established the nation’s first shingle recycling program in 2009 in alliance with Heritage Environmental Services. Since its inception, the program has recycled more than 80,000 tons of asphalt shingles, which is equivalent to saving 80,000 barrels of oil, according to the company.
In September, Owens Corning and Solexel received $13 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for projects that will help shape the next generation of solar energy technologies. The grant is part of the DOE’s SunShot Initiative that seeks to make solar energy systems more affordable and sustainable for homeowners.
The funding provides an opportunity to integrate Solexel’s solar technology with OC’s roofing expertise into solar roofing solutions that are affordable, aesthetically attractive and easy to install.
Owens Corning is a producer of commercial and residential building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. It has been a Fortune 500 company for 57 consecutive years.
The Toledo-based company reported sales of $5 billion in 2010 with approximately 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents. For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.
Tags: EcoOptions, EcoTouch, Home Depot, Owens Corning
