USG’s solid history of environmental responsibility includes providing product solutions that reduce environmental impact, reduce waste, conserve resources and recycle materials whenever possible.

The company’s goal is to preserve valuable natural resources while supporting clean air and easing disposal problems for public utilities. For several decades, USG has used innovative technology to reduce its impact on the environment.

USG Corporation was a founding member of the US Green Building Council in 1993, and USG Australasia is a current member and strong supporter of both the New Zealand and Australian Green Building Councils.

Recycled and Renewable Materials

Recyclable and renewable raw materials reduce consumption of energy and resources without diminishing the long-term performance of USG products.

Many USG products contain:

• Synthetic mineral wool. USG converts nearly 150,000 tons of slag, a waste product of steel making, to mineral wool every year, eliminating the need to mine and process raw material and reducing landfill waste.
• Recycled paper. USG ceiling panels contain paper recovered from both pre-consumer (cuttings from corrugated box manufacturing) and post-consumer (newspapers) use.
• Corn and wheat starch binders. These renewable agricultural materials are an environmentally sound alternative to traditional binders derived from petroleum-based chemicals.
• Recycled metal. Several USG metal speciality ceilings and ceiling and drywall suspension systems are made from steel that includes recycled content. New Zealand manufactured products (USG ceiling suspension and steel stud systems) use New Zealand steel, which contains approximately 12% recycled steel content. Additionally, any manufacturing scrap steel is collected by an authorised steel recycle business.

Other Aspects

USG’s number one corporate priority is health and safety — not only for manufacturing and employees but, as a socially responsible company, for the environment too.

Using clean fuels. USG uses natural gas and low-sulphur oil whenever possible and conserves energy with heat-exchange processes throughout manufacturing operations.

Treating and recycling water. Managing water use saves more than 28 million gallons every day and reduces effluent discharges into municipal treatment systems.

Reducing waste. Waste from the production line and panels chipped or broken during processing are returned to the manufacturing cycle, keeping them out of landfills.

Offering specialised ceiling panels. Non-directional products such as RADAR ClimaPlus ceiling panels allows more efficient use of materials by reducing waste during installation. High-durability acoustical panels extend the useful life of ceilings and reduce operating and replacement costs. Panels with high light reflectance such as Mars ClimaPlus can enhance indirect lighting, reducing the number of light fixtures needed and lowering energy consumption.

Product life cycle. USG’s commitment to health, safety and environmental responsibility is evident at every stage in the life cycle chain.

Potter Interior Systems is the master distributor for USG in New Zealand.