Capral Aluminium has recently received certification under the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard V3 and Chain of Custody (CoC) V2 for the extrusion, warehousing and distribution of aluminium products and services.
The certification applies to all of Capral’s 26 facilities, composed of extrusion facilities, distribution centres and trade centres, spread across every state and territory in Australia. The certification recognises Capral’s commitment to responsible production, sourcing, and management of aluminium products.
Capral Group ESG & Risk Manager Marc Banks said: “As buyers become increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their products, Capral’s certification is a significant achievement that reinforces our position as a responsible and sustainable business.
“It has been a hard slog; these standards set high benchmarks and are assessed rigorously by thirdparty auditors. We can now proudly hang our hat on the fact that we are the first Australasian aluminium extruder to achieve certification under the ASI Performance and CoC standards. Our Integrated Management System (IMS) philosophy has been 13 years in the making and provided a solid foundation for us to build upon and achieve our certification.”
With this certification, Capral joins a select group of international aluminium producers and suppliers who have met the rigorous standards set by the ASI.
CAPRAL’S SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES
Capral Aluminium has a long-standing commitment to sustainability. The company recognises that responsible environmental stewardship is essential for its long-term success and the wellbeing of the communities in which it operates. In early 2022, Capral committed to reaching net zero by 2050. Shortly after that, in June, Capral joined the ASI recognising that the organisation would provide robust benchmarks against which it could measure its sustainability and responsible procurement practices.
In November 2022, Capral took an industry leading position and introduced a lower carbon primary aluminium option into its range – LocAl®, providing Australian window and door fabricators, architects, designers and builders with access to cleaner, greener, lower carbon aluminium for commercial and residential building projects.
Capral has implemented various sustainability initiatives, including energy efficiency measures, waste reduction programs, and material recycling. Capral also works closely with its suppliers to ensure they meet the same high standards for sustainability. These initiatives have allowed Capral to reduce its environmental impact and improve its operational efficiency.
WHAT IS THE ASI?
The ASI is a global non-profit organisation that sets standards for responsible aluminium production, sourcing, and management. ASI works with stakeholders across the aluminium value chain, including producers, suppliers, and end-users, to promote sustainable practices and ensure social, environmental, and ethical responsibility. ASI developed its certification program through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process. It is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. The ASI Performance Standard V3 and ASI CoC Standard V2 were launched in May 2022 following a multi-year revision process
.CAPRAL’S ASI CERTIFICATION PROCESS
To receive ASI certification, Capral had to undergo a rigorous audit process that assessed its sustainability practices against ASI’s Performance and CoC standards.
The audit covered all aspects of Capral’s operations, including production processes, sourcing practices, and management systems. DNV Business Assurance Services UK Ltd carried out the independent, third-party audit of Capral’s operations.
ASI-CERTIFIED ALUMINIUM FOR BUILDING PROJECTS
Capral’s certification under the ASI Performance Standard applies to its comprehensive range of locally extruded aluminium window and door systems, including AGS, Urban, Urban Plus, Futureline, Artisan and Schüco systems. Capral’s National Specification Manager Brendon Orth said: “In November last year, we committed to offering all our window and door systems from lower carbon aluminium sourced from ASI-certified smelters; now we can go one step further and add that our organisation has achieved certification under the ASI Performance and CoC Standards. For fabricators specialising in commercial and architectural projects, access to ASI-certified, lower carbon aluminium systems will provide an immense advantage in winning projects and tenders where environmental credentials matter.”
ASI’s Performance Standard V3, under which Capral is now certified, has recently been recognised by the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) Green Star, under its Responsible Products Framework. The Framework is a credit that falls under the ‘Green Star – Buildings’ category and aims to assess how responsible a product is to drive the supply chain to deliver transparent, healthy, low-impact, and net zero-carbon products that are part of a circular economy.
As an ASI-certified member, Capral can now contribute to Green Star credit points (under the ‘Green Star Building’ category: Responsible Structure, Responsible Envelope, Responsible Finishes, and Responsible Systems) for the structure of a project.
“The ability to claim Green Star credit points through the use of Capral’s ASI certified aluminium is a huge advantage for window and door manufacturers competing on commercial projects where Green Star certification is a priority – Capral aluminium systems are currently the only locally produced window and door systems which carry this certification,” adds Brendon.
The GBCA is not the only local organisation that has publicly recognised ASI and its standards as best in class for sustainable aluminium production. MECLA – The Materials Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance collaboration of organisations from all parts of the building and construction industry supply chain is actively working with architects, designers and specifiers to advocate for the specification of ASI-certified CoC aluminium in construction projects.
THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE ALUMINIUM FOR BUILT PROJECTS
Capral’s ASI certification is a sign of the growing demand among architects, builders and developers for sustainable products and services as consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their products. As the demand for sustainable aluminium building products grows, ASI certification will likely become crucial for aluminium window and door product suppliers. Capral’s certification is just the beginning of a new era of responsible and sustainable aluminium production.
By Kellie Moore