The SNFA is accelerating the development of low-carbon aluminum joinery to meet market expectations

Evolving regulations – particularly Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the integration of life cycle assessment into the RE2020 regulation – are profoundly transforming the sector's landscape. To remain competitive, the industry must accelerate its ecological transition. Infinitely recyclable and requiring only 5% of the energy needed for primary production, recycled aluminum represents a strategic opportunity.

In this context, the SNFA supports its members - designers, manufacturers and installers of aluminum exterior joinery and demountable partitions - towards the design and manufacture of low carbon solutions.

The ambition is clearly defined: to structure a leading French recycling sector and achieve a closed loop by 2030. This objective is based on a fully controlled recycling chain, with a ramp-up from 2026 to increase capacity to 200.000 tonnes in order to be ready to recycle 100% of the aluminum joinery removed.

A sector committed to recycling and low carbon

Today, 96% of end-of-life aluminum joinery is collected. However, a significant portion of the recycled aluminum is resold abroad, particularly in the United States where aluminum waste is taxed at approximately 15%, compared to 50% for primary aluminum.

The French aluminum joinery market has a strong incentive to develop a closed-loop recycling system that creates value for the industry. As the first steps in this recycling chain, two new foundries opened this year: Coralium, France's first recycled aluminum foundry, which plans to produce 40.000 tons of low-carbon aluminum billets by 2027, and Aluminium Group Solution, which plans to produce 80.000 tons of low-carbon aluminum billets per year. By 2026, France is expected to reach a total recycling capacity of 200.000 tons per year.

In this process, the SNFA has been collaborating closely with the eco-organization Valobat since 2022, particularly for the implementation of the EPR.

To encourage producers to reduce their waste and design more sustainable products, the AGEC law and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes introduced eco-modulation. This new mechanism adjusts producers' financial contributions based on the environmental impact of their products: the less polluting the product is throughout its life cycle, the lower the contribution required.

For aluminum joinery, the reduction can reach 10% if the profiles contain at least 40% recycled aluminum, and 30% for other products. This high percentage of recycled materials reflects a genuine commitment to decarbonizing the sector and its level of maturity.

A pioneering approach and tools for the market

In its role as a leading organization, the SNFA has been developing voluntary initiatives for several years to support its members. As early as 2015, it created the Aluminum Window Label, followed by the Aluminum Facade Label in 2017. These labels, based on demanding standards and external audits (Socotec), promote the quality of French manufacturing.

Today, these labels are evolving with the integration of an Environmental component, reinforcing their eco-responsible dimension. Companies must demonstrate their commitment to optimal waste management. They can recycle aluminum waste from workshops and construction sites in a closed loop, or optimize packaging. They can also work on decarbonizing their production. Finally, the company must appoint one or more managers responsible for the effective implementation of waste management and environmental protection measures. In June 2026, a new CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) component will be added to the system to further highlight the quality of local production.

The Alu+C- approach is also a key lever for promoting a reduced carbon footprint for aluminum profiles. Created in 2018, prior to the RE2020 regulations, the Alu+C- approach is a joint initiative of the SNFA (French National Union of Aluminum Manufacturers) and the GFA (French Aluminum Spinners Association) to involve window and door manufacturers in an ambitious decarbonization strategy. This approach requires participating companies to maintain complete traceability, from billet sourcing to the spinning process, by imposing carbon thresholds for aluminum profiles and the use of recycled material, with a minimum of 30% recycled aluminum for windows.

Collective FDES and configurator: SNFA takes a step ahead

To comply with the new RE2020 regulations, the SNFA created collective Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in 2022, based on real-world data from its members. Using this information, the SNFA was able to establish average data per product and provide EPDs for the majority of products it represents: facades, sunshades, railings, demountable partitions, and, most recently updated in 2025, windows.

In 2026, the SNFA (French National Union of Aluminum Manufacturers) took a further step with the customization of Environmental and Health Declarations (FDES) for doors, lightweight aluminum-framed facades, and verandas. Today, the market increasingly demands customized FDES to comply with the RE2020 regulations. To meet this demand, the SNFA developed an FDES configurator: Config'Alu. This configurator allows members to personalize FDES to better reflect the specific requirements of a given project. Members can adjust key parameters (mass and type of glazing, aluminum mass, etc.) to obtain more accurate results and optimize product representation, particularly for low-carbon products. Config'Alu is already available for railings, windows, demountable partitions, and sunshades.

For each product family, the SNFA insists on the inclusion of the 4 mandatory LCA modules in the EPDs:

• Module A: production and construction
• Module B: Usage
• Module C: End of life
• Module D: Benefits and costs beyond the system when materials are recycled or reused at the end of their life.

This last module, often neglected, is nevertheless crucial for aluminium: it reflects the carbon benefits linked to its recyclability and makes it possible to significantly reduce the overall footprint of joinery.