Sustainability

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Our environmental commitment

Empowering Sustainable Design

At Apogee Architectural Metals, we understand that architects, contractors, and building owners need clear, verifiable paths to meet sustainability goals and secure green building certifications. Our products, technical resources and expertise support your project’s ability to meet LEED®, government and institutional requirements for energy efficiency, durability and environmental responsibility.

How Our Products Advance Sustainable Building Goals

Our systems are designed with the entire building lifecycle in mind—offering durability, recyclability and energy efficiency that support sustainable design strategies.

Durability and Low Maintenance: Apogee Architectural Metals delivers decades of reliable performance, reducing replacement cycles and embodied environmental impact.
Recycled Content: Specify secondary billet for aluminum framing systems. Apogee Architectural Metals uses secondary billet, which is domestically sourced in the U.S. for our production.
- Total recycled content = post-consumer + ½ × pre-consumer content (per LEED and industry standards).
- The range of 65–70%+ generally represents the overall weight percentage of recovered aluminum in the billets. The exact split between post‑ and pre‑consumer scrap varies by supplier and alloy formulation.
Energy Efficiency: Advanced thermal break technology, high-performance glazing options and careful engineering reduce operational energy use to support energy credits.
Regional Manufacturing: Multiple U.S. facilities reduce transportation impacts and help meet local material sourcing goals.

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach campus

67th & Tower retail development

Supporting LEED v4, LEED v5 and Green Building Standards

We help project teams navigate evolving green building requirements, including LEED v4 and the new LEED v5 rating systems. Our products and resources support credits in:

Materials and Resources (MR):
- Third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
- Recycled aluminum content supporting responsible sourcing

Energy and Atmosphere (EA):
- Thermal performance reducing operational energy demand

Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ):
- Framing systems that maximize daylight and views

Our team stays current with LEED updates and evolving green building standards, including LEED v5 (see USGBC LEED v5), and can help you interpret and document credits for certification submissions.

Product Transparency: EPDs and Verified Data

We’re committed to transparency and sustainability. That’s why we provide third-party verified documentation to help architects, specifiers, and building owners make informed decisions. Our Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Declare Labels offer clear insights into the environmental and material impacts of our products—supporting green building certification and sustainable design goals.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs):
- EPDs help project teams meet sustainability requirements such as LEED, Green Globes, and other green building programs. They offer transparency, allowing architects and owners to compare products and make informed environmental choices.
- An EPD is a standardized document that quantifies the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle—from raw material extraction to manufacturing and beyond. Based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), EPDs provide data such as:
  - Global warming potential (carbon footprint)
  - Energy and water usage
  - Ozone depletion potential
  - Waste generation

Click below to access our current EPDs for EFCO brand products:

Click below to access our current EPDs for Wausau Window brand products:

Declare Labels / Other Standards:
- Declare supports programs like LEED v5, WELL, and Living Building Challenge (LBC) by providing material transparency and demonstrating a product’s contribution to healthier indoor environments.
- A Declare Label is often referred to as a “nutrition label” for building products. Created by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), Declare Labels support Red List Free design goals, encouraging the use of materials that avoid harmful chemicals. The Declare Labels discloses
  - All intentionally added product ingredients
  - Where the product is manufactured
  - End-of-life options (e.g., recyclable)

Click below to access our current list of Tubelite brand products with Declare Labels:

Kansas City International Airport Terminal Building and Parking Garage

Salt Lake City Fire Department #14

Government and Institutional Requirements

We support compliance with federal, state and local requirements including:

Federal Buy Clean / Low-Embodied Carbon Initiatives
- EPDs meet Buy Clean reporting requirements
GSA, DoD, VA, and State Procurement
- Documented recycled content and thermal performance
Energy Codes (IECC, ASHRAE 90.1)
- Systems engineered to meet or exceed current energy code requirements

Our team can help interpret and meet these requirements for your project.

Talk To Our Sustainability Experts

Have questions about meeting LEED requirements, securing government project approvals or selecting the best system for energy performance? Contact our Architectural Services team for personalized support.