Armstrong recycling program marks 25 years

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Armstrong World Industries says its Ceilings Recycling Program is celebrating 25 years of offering recycling option for end-of-life ceilings and reducing construction waste at commercial demolition and renovation projects.

Over the last quarter of a century, Armstrong says its program, introduced in 1999, has diverted more than 217 million square feet of discarded ceiling panels from landfills, “reclaiming enough material to fill Central Park more than six times over.”

“Armstrong has always been an innovative company, a commitment demonstrated by our starting the industry’s first ceilings recycling program 25 years ago,” says Kelsey Herring, director of sustainability at Armstrong.

“As impacts of climate change intensify and the global waste problem worsens, we are proud of the strength and growth of the program as it helps companies fulfill a critical responsibility to adopt more sustainable systems of production, reuse and recycling,” adds Herring.

Armstrong describes the program as supporting commercial building owners and contractors in reducing construction waste during renovation or demolition projects. In addition to helping projects meet waste diversion goals, the program can yield savings on roll-off container costs and landfill fees, adds the manufacturer.

The Ceilings Recycling Program arranges for the transport of discarded ceiling panels from commercial building projects to nearby Armstrong facilities, where they are processed and converted into new ceiling panels in what Armstrong calls a closed-loop manufacturing process.

For projects in pursuit of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Version 4 certification, the program is approved and contributes to credits for reducing construction waste, according to Armstrong.

The replacement of old panels with ceilings made with higher levels of recycled content also can contribute to LEED Version 4 Materials and Resources credits and help create “healthier more sustainable spaces,” adds the firm.