Sustainable business | Our responsibility

Purposeful change

Improving our impact on the environment and our communities is right at the heart of what drives us and our ambition for the future. Not only here at APL, but throughout our integrated supply chain. Together, we’re on a journey to reimagine how we can improve this in every way. Because we know the choices we make today, directly impact the future of our environments tomorrow.

You can't manage what you don't measure

Before our journey to sustainability began, APL were running a traditional linear model. But in 2019, this all changed following a waste audit conducted by Xtreme Zero Waste, guided by Circularity.

This began the piloting phase of many initiatives that would make a meaningful impact to waste.

As the country's largest manufacturer of aluminium windows and doors, we believe we have a responsibility to improve the way we do things and reduce our environmental impacts.

We're rethinking what we make and how we produce it.

We are reconsidering what we buy, and how we can reuse more of what is leftover.

We are measuring ourselves, committing to targets and openly sharing our learnings so that we not only reduce our own impact as a group but reset industry expectations and provide a model for circular success.

So, what are we doing?

Renewable packaging with full circle recovery reuse

Working toward a circular economy Soft plastic recycling

A range of carbonzero products

The waste process An aligned future with Toitū Going electricity-neutral

Manufacturing powered by renewable energy

Biodiversity credits Diversion from landfill

Our commitment to sustainability

We’re at the beginning of our sustainability journey; explore our initiatives.

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A difference you can feel

Over 35-50% of a home's heat is lost from it's windows and doors*, we set out to improve that. Our industry-leading ThermalHEART^® technology stops that energy waste, saves money and reduces emissions.

The insulated window system minimises heat flow through the frame, keeping cool temperatures out in colder months and decreases solar heat gain in warmer months.

It's a commitment to sustainability for us, for you, and for New Zealand.

Future focused innovation

Recognised as a truly pioneering company in New Zealand, we've always been driven by our hands-on vision, ambition and desire to innovate and improve. That’s why we’re making the shift toward a circular economy — for us and our manufacturers, for the industry and its future. As industry leaders and innovators, Profile Group and therefore APL, sees this as both our opportunity and responsibility to address the rising need for large-scale, sustainable change.

Our next steps

We’re at the beginning of our sustainability journey and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far. There's always room for improvement and we will continue to evolve and innovate in the sustainability space.

With three overarching goals, we have clear direction in all decision making processes and will continue to keep sustainability at the forefront.

We look forward to continuing the journey to becoming Toitū carbonzero certified, our nationwide roll out of circular packaging, and increasing our waste diversion from landfill, amongst many other initiatives.

Download accreditations

* Please refer to thermalheartplus.co.nz/thermalheart for all statistical data and references

Stories

Soft plastic recycling

Continuing our journey to circularity through our partnership with PACT Recycling, the largest recycler of post-industrial plastic in the Southern Hemisphere.

An aligned future with Toitū

Independent assessments and accreditations are crucial and that’s why we’re working closely with Toitū Envirocare, one of the country’s leading carbon certification organisations.

Working towards a circular economy

They say you can’t manage what you don’t measure, and that’s why a partnership was established with environmental consultancy Circularity to explore the impacts of all their waste streams.

The waste process

While APL is working hard to build a more circular business, not every material is able to be repurposed. That’s why we’re working closely with Enviro NZ, a materials management and resource recovery company.

Diversion from landfill

By collecting food scraps, we're helping power local homes and protect the environment.

The importance of ThermalHEART®

While reducing the environmental impact of construction is a major focus of the building industry, another big focus is on reducing the amount of energy that’s required to run those buildings when they’re completed.

Environmental Product Declaration

Three of APL’s window and door ranges have been the subject of an independent environmental and life cycle assessment by external consultants.

Biodiversity Initiative a New Zealand First

Profile Group, parent company to APL Window Solutions, has become the first participant in a new biodiversity market, purchasing biodiversity units from Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, in the South Waikato.

Going Electricity-Neutral

The parent company to APL Window Solutions, Profile Group, has acquired renewable energy certificates from Kawatiri Energy.

The power of the ocean

At APL, we understand the power of the ocean, and what it means to our fellow New Zealanders. We play in it. We eat from it. We live by it. It connects us all.

Homes of the future

A major sustainability project by Kāinga Ora, the government’s public housing agency, will use a new, thermally efficient product range from APL Window Solutions.

Closing the loop on waste

We’ve introduced a series of day-to-day sustainability initiatives aimed at circulating high value materials, innovating new solutions and designing out waste and emissions across the business.

Hautapu ~ Our Green building

We planned carefully to make our large, new manufacturing facility at Hautapu an example of ‘best practice’ sustainable design and construction.

Upgrading for the environment

In 2016 APL upgraded it's powdercoating lines to achieve an environmentally-friendly standard.

Leading the way

At APL, we are well on the way to reinventing the way we do business.

Our responsibility