Armstrong recycling program marks 25 years

The Ceilings Recycling Program of Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Armstrong World Industries 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 25 years, 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,” Armstrong Director of Sustainability Kelsey Herring says. “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."

The program supports 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, the manufacturer says.

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.

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."