Sustainability: Codes, Standards and Resources
For decades, Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG glass) products have helped to meet customers’ demanding requirements and sustain a healthy global environment. The company introduced the
first spectrally selective glass in 1934, and today remains a leading manufacturer of environmentally progressive architectural glass products that help boost a home’s energy efficiency and make
it more environmentally friendly.
The Vitro glass commitment to sustainability involves actively pursuing company-wide initiatives that support regional sourcing, reducing the environmental impact of packaging, making products easier
to recycle or dispose, encouraging the use of alternative energy, cutting overall greenhouse gas and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions and making environmentally progressive products.
As architects and glaziers work to design and construct building projects more sustainably, the consideration of embodied carbon has become a bigger factor in understanding the overall impact of a
project’s carbon footprint. As a result, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) have established standards for low embodied carbon (LEC) products.
As part of achieving these standards, products must offer a Type III Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) in kilograms of carbon equivalent per metric ton (kgCO2eq/ton)
of glass.
Vitro’s latest certified Flat Glass EPD reported an embodied carbon content of 1,240 kg CO2e, which is 13% lower than the National Glass Association’s industry standard and an improvement on Vitro’s figures
reported in our 2023 EPDs. Based on this result, all Vitro Architectural Glass products meet the Top 20% Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) material category. This lowest embodied carbon designation applies to all
Vitro-produced architectural glass from all Vitro plants all the time.
Learn more about Vitro's culture of sustainability and find additional information about
embodied carbon in glass on VitroGlazings.com.
In 2008, as PPG Glass, Vitro Architectural Glass became the first U.S. glass manufacturer to have its entire collection of architectural glass products recognized by the
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program. Today, Vitro Glass’ product selection is Cradle to Cradle® Bronze certified.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is a certification mark of MBDC.
USGBC LEED® Program
The United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program is a voluntary market-driven building rating system designed to accelerate the development and implementation of green building practices. For more detailed information, visit the USGBC site. Vitro glass and PPG manufacture a variety of glass, paint and coating products that can help architects earn LEED certification credits for their projects.
There are many criteria that contribute to earning LEED credits, such as the LEED-defined distance of the source of sand used in creating float glass by Vitro Glass, the distance of the Vitro glass customer facility from the project and percentage of post-industrial recycling content used in the glass batch, among others. To learn more about how Vitro glass can help contribute to LEED certification credits, view our LEED Support Center. For more detailed information on LEED Credits & Certification, contact a LEED consultant for assistance.
Industry Associations and Contacts
AAMA - American Architectural Manufacturers Association focuses on structural performance specifications, product certification, labeling and component certification. Key documents include AAMA 101 Specification for fenestration and Industry Statistical Information.
GANA - Glass Association of North America is a unified voice on matters affecting the glass industry. Key documents include various educational pieces and general technical bulletins.
ASTM - American Society of Testing & Materials focuses on industry consensus developed specifications. Key documents include various specifications related to glass.
FGIA - Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance focuses on IGU technology and specifications.
NFRC - National Fenestration Rating Council focuses on performance rating standards, product certification and labeling. NFRC administers the glazing data base public library
WDMA - Window and Door Manufacturers Association & Canadian WDMA represents and supports all aspects of the window and door manufacturing industry.
EWC – The Efficient Windows Collaborative provides information on the benefits of energy-efficient windows, descriptions of how they work and recommendations for their selection and use. The EWC is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Windows and Glazings Program and by the participation of fenestration industry members.
Safety Glazing Standards & Organizations
American National Standards Institute ANSI Z97.1-2004e, American National Standard for Safety Glazing Materials Used in Buildings – Safety Performance Specifications Method of Test.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC 16 CFR 1201, Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials [Last amended: 49 FR 7107, Feb. 27, 1984].
Safety Glazing Certification Council Manages a certification program for compliance to the above two standards and publishes a Certified Products Directory.
Additional Web Links
These web links offer substantial information in the area of building codes and industry associations related to fenestration products:
Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP)
BCAP, a joint initiative of the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Natural Resources Defense Council are structured to quickly deliver assistance at the state or local government level where construction regulation exists. BCAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
EWC Window Selection Tool
To assist residential window manufacturers and homeowners with product selection, EWC has developed Window Selection Tools for New Construction and Replacement Windows. These tools provide step-by-step decision-making support for determining the most energy efficient window for a given residential building.