Our Philosophy

Umicore is a company that is very conscious about the environment. Our corporate offices have a certified environment management system and publishes an annual report on its considerable efforts in this regard. Umicore has won several awards for its dealing with the environment. Please contact us for a copy of the environmental report.

As far as the activities of Umicore Building Products are concerned, from our website, you will learn why zinc is a very sound decision for your next building projects.

We believe that environmentally friendly construction is an oxymoron. We need construction and as concerned individuals, we have an obligation to the world and future generations to do so in a sound manner. With VM ZINC® you have a product that fits that purpose and with Umicore you have a group of individuals as concerned about protecting our environment as you are.

Umicore recognizes that its commitment to financial success must also take into account the broader economic, environmental and social impact of its operations.

We subscribe to the following principles in our pursuit of sustainable development:

• We integrate sustainable development considerations within the corporate decision-making process.
• We implement risk management strategies based on valid data and sound science.
• We seek continual improvement of our environmental performance.
• We actively participate in the management and remediation of risks that are the result of historical operations.
• We facilitate and encourage responsible design, use, re-use, recycling and disposal of our products.
• We engage with our stakeholders and implement effective and transparent communication and independently verified reporting arrangements.
• We uphold fundamental human rights and respect those rights in conducting the Group’s operations throughout the world.

VM Zinc® and LEED

Zinc is safe nontoxic natural metal that is all around us and is an integral part of nature. Here are some frequently asked questions and facts about zinc.

Can VM ZINC ® contribute to achieving LEED points?

Yes.

• Page 24 of 47 LEED Material and Resources, Credit 2.1 (1 point) and 2.2 (1 point): Construction Waste Management: all zinc construction wastes can easily be sent to any local metal scrap dealer. The zinc in the US is then reused by the galvanization industry.
• Page 27 of 47 LEED Material and Resources, Credit 5.1 (1 point) and Credit 5.2 (1 point): Local/Regional Material: Zinc panels formed at our facilities within 500 miles of the project or on the job site contributes to this credit.
  • Zinc Weight per system:
    • Double Lock Standing Seam: .8mm 1.55 lbs/sf
    • Flat Lock: 1.00mm 1.84 lbs/sf
    • Corrugated: 1.00mm 1.80 lbs/sf
    • PPS: 2.45 lbs/sf
• Page 43 of 47 LEED Material and Resources, Credit 4.2 (1 point) Recycled Content: Umicore is one of the world's leading players in the zinc industry with a total production capacity of over 600,000 tons. Umicore is the world's number one producer of zinc products for building applications. Umicore is also the world's biggest recycler of zinc, a position that reflects the Group's aim to provide a "closed loop" for zinc products. Concerning the total production of zinc from UMICORE (all applications included), the recycled zinc content is 21 % in 1998, 23 % in 2000 and 26 % in 2002. Furthermore, the percentage of secondary materials used in our Auby plant (zinc smelting and rolling) is 9% in 2002 (UMICORE group annual environment and safety report)

Lifespan

Zinc has an exceptionally long lifespan. As a rule of thumb you may consider about 100 years for roofs and even longer for wall applications. During its life time zinc unlike coated or painted metals does not change its look much. It may darken depending on the pollutants and local environmental conditions.

The application of zinc in roofing and wall cladding began in the 19th century. Some of these roofs are still in service. Since then considerable breakthroughs in metallurgy and alloy. The installed roofs and walls are testimonial to the longevity of an installed system.

The reason why there is a limit to the lifespan of any metal is the removal of material. A certain amount of zinc is removed from the surface of the material during rainfall. The protective patina reforms and the process start all over again. Airborne pollutants, in particular sulfur dioxide accelerates this process. Looking at a worst case scenario, the air quality in a heavy industrialized metropolitan area such as Pittsburg in the 1950's, approximately 7 microns of zinc would be removed each year. It is generally recommended to replace the roof when 40% of the material has been removed. Assuming the minimum recommended thickness for roofing applications is 0.7mm, 40% of this thickness equals 280 microns. Mathematically, a removal rate of 7 microns a year would indicate a 40 year lifespan. .

Currently, through environmental clean up activities, the removal rates are 1 to 2 microns per year resulting in a longer lifespans.

Now once you have understood how long zinc could last you will understand better why we request details that last just as long. We refuse any caulking and riveting of our material, because caulks and rivet under the best of circumstances have a lifespan of maybe 20 years. Then a 100 year roof fails because of rivets and caulks? Hence we require very traditional sheet metal details that cause the sometimes high cost for a zinc roof. If you would request/ design those sheet metal details from any other painted metal the installed price would be very similar to the one of VM ZINC® but in painted, you still would not have a 100 year roof.

Recycling

More than 35% of the world’s zinc production today comes from recycled materials. Research shows that by the end of 2004, this value should be up to 39%. There are not many metals that are able to show such numbers. After it’s useful life (see Lifespan) meaning ~ 100 years from now, VM ZINC® can be recycled to 100%. The collection of used zinc is pretty well organized.