Sustainability

Our sustainability vision is underpinned by the following values:

• ARDEX will promote the use of its products in repair and restoration to prevent the generation of waste from substrate/core structure replacement.
• ARDEX will use energy efficiently throughout all business processes and will monitor, measure and review energy use with a commitment to reducing consumption and sourcing its supply in line with the sustainability vision.
• ARDEX will consider the life-cycle of products from innovation to disposal, and where applicable applying product declarations to support their application and use in the marketplace.
• ARDEX will source raw materials, packaging and products responsibly and continue to work with all suppliers throughout the supply chain to delivery materials within our sustainability platform objectives.
• ARDEX will seek to eliminate waste as a primary objective and will re-use, recycle or recover energy from waste that cannot be otherwise prevented. Waste will only be landfilled as a last resort.
• ARDEX will implement and support the required resources to develop sustainable workplace environments, develop employee awareness to act in accordance to these values and promote social responsibility.
• ARDEX will plan effectively to ensure business continuity and adaptability to react to and lead change in a continually evolving climate.

ARDEX utilizes best practices when it comes to safety, both at our own facilities and out in the field.

ARDEX and HENRY products have VOC contents that are among the lowest in the industry, and several of our adhesives are formulated with no VOC’s. Our products are also frequently specified for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other areas where air quality and safety are of utmost importance.

ARDEX and HENRY are very transparent regarding their products. Our warnings on packages, installation instructions, and safety data sheets disclose all the information necessary to make safe and healthy decisions regarding the selection and installation of our products.

ARDEX and HENRY boast an excellent safety record at its manufacturing facilities, seldom experiencing any lost time accidents. This success is attributed to the training and attention to detail practiced by workers in ARDEX and HENRY facilities.

We also constantly promoting personal health, such as diet, exercise, and well-being to our employees across North America. For these reasons, ARDEX Americas has been named the #1 Healthiest Employer of Western PA!

As the Green Building industry grows in popularity, there are becoming more and more environmental programs that are gaining traction. Due to the popularity of programs like LEED, Living Building Challenge, and BREEAM, ARDEX has worked to develop multiple types of documentation to continue to allow its products to stay specified at the tops of their respective classes.

HPD – ARDEX and HENRY make Health Product Declarations available for all its products.
EPD – We are working with the TCNA and other manufacturers to develop the first Environmental Product Declaration for cementitious mortars and grouts. This means that tile installation systems, including the installation materials and the tile itself, will be the first multi-product system to make EPD’s available.
SCS Global Services – We have had several of our adhesives tested and approved as FloorScore® certified.

As environmental sustainability trends continue to work their way into construction practices, we encourage feedback from our customers to help us stay on top of these trends. We are willing to work upon request to provide additional information regarding our products.

If you have questions or comments regarding the environmental aspects of our products, contact us.

Through the close industry relationships we have built with installers, distributors, architects and engineers, we ourselves have learned a tremendous amount about industry trends, to include Environmental Sustainability and Green Building. Some of the most common industry trends include the following:

Carbon Footprint – Every aspect of manufacturing has an impact on the environment, known as the Carbon Footprint. ARDEX and HENRY work to decrease the impact of its products in two ways:

1. Develop its many manufacturing locations to regionally source raw materials. By extracting and producing products closer to the end user, ARDEX and HENRY cut down on the emissions related to transportation.
2. Creating durable, high-quality products that are properly applied lets ARDEX and HENRY ensure that products last a very long time. A long-lasting product has a relatively low carbon footprint since it does not need constant maintenance and replacement.

Recycling / Using Recyclable Materials – ARDEX and HENRY work to recycle their paper and plastic products and have a program for recycling electronic waste. We also utilize recycled plastic in our buckets and pails. Regarding the use of recycled ingredients in products, note that ARDEX and HENRY have a strict tolerance when it comes to raw ingredients. To develop high-quality products, high-quality raw materials are needed. The unpredictable purity and possible contamination in many recycled ingredients can negatively affect the quality of ARDEX and HENRY products.

Ingredient Disclosure / Transparency – ARDEX and HENRY disclose their ingredients as per the Globally Harmonized System’s requirements for hazard communication. This information can be found on our Safety Data Sheets, as well as our Health Product Declarations. We do not wish to disclose our entire formula, but we do disclose information on all materials that are determined to be potentially harmful to workers, installers, end-users, and the environment.

OSHA & Silica Compliance – OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has recently issued a new standard for the construction industry which requires employers to limit worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica and to take other steps to protect workers. Because all construction employers covered by the standard are required to establish and implement a written exposure control plan, ARDEX has conducted a series of tests with an independent outside lab to provide to our customers the exposure statistics for our different product lines as well as mixing methods. Complete information on ARDEX Silica Compliance testing here.