environment

Gerard® and the Environment – explore our environmental obligations

A greener choice in roofing

A Gerard® stone coated steel roof is an environmentally friendly choice. It’s lighter than concrete or clay roofing, which means transportation is more energy-efficient. It requires timber support, which saves resources. And it’s made from steel, which is endlessly recyclable.

Transporting steel tile requires less energy

Concrete and clay tiles can be bulky and heavy. One house load would require one average-size truck for transport. The same truck could carry enough Gerard® pressed steel roofing for about 10 homes, using less energy (and therefore less carbon) to transport.

A lightweight roof requires less framing timber

Compared to a concrete tile roof, a pressed steel roof doesn’t require as much framing support. On average, a roof can require as much as an extra $1,300 worth of framing materials and $500 more in labour costs.

Steel can always be recycled

Steel is the most eco friendly material in the world. In fact it can be recycled infinitely, without losing any of its qualities. So when a Gerard® roof reaches the end of its useful life, it doesn’t need to end up in landfill. It can be re-worked into another steel product.

Facts about recycling steel

Steel is 100% recyclable – its form can be changed infinitely without any of its qualities being lost. Due to its magnetic properties, steel is easy to separate from waste streams, enabling high recovery rates. The by-products arising from steel production are all reused. For example, slag is employed as a high-value mineral material for highway construction, as ballast, and for the manufacture of cement.

What sustainability means to us

Sustainability by definition is inherently broad. Generally, however, there is a commonly understood idea of sustainability – the capacity for continuance into the long term. Sustainability is a process, a journey without an end; continuous improvement is the end in itself.

ISO 14001 Environmental Management 

Gerard® Roofs, adheres to the ISO 14001 standard of Environmental Management and is committed to ongoing sustainability improvements. Gerard® follows a sustainability framework that ensures the company operates in a manner that achieves financial success through the practice of environmental stewardship, ethical leadership, and by embracing our role as a corporate citizen in the communities where we work.

A world of Gerard®

Six out of seven continents embrace Gerard® roofs. Discover our story here