Winco’s Sustainable Manufacturing Practices

In the building industry, sustainability is a word we often hear. But what does it mean to us? Or, for our customers?  To us, sustainability means we can all commit to building a better future together. It starts with using local, sustainable resources to manufacture products, and it continues with utilizing eco-friendly practices in our day-to-day operations, including transportation and waste material disposal.

Winco offers architects, builders, and owners a window product line that meets multiple performance requirements—from thermal capabilities and energy savings to security and comfort features, from the use of sustainable or recycled materials to working toward a reduced carbon footprint.

Winco actively promotes attaining LEED specifications and other sustainable building initiatives.

Winco’s central location in the middle of the U.S. ensures our windows and doors are easily available nationwide. Many of our glass suppliers and aluminum extruders are located within a 500-mile radius of our St. Louis manufacturing facility, and most of our services are completed onsite.  Shipping and transportation are key to reducing gas emissions and leaving a smaller carbon footprint.

Winco helps project teams save on installation expenses by factory-glazing windows before shipping. We custom-make our windows in our factory and send them to the project site ready for installation.  Factory-glazed windows are also excellent for quality control and code compliance. 

When it comes to commercial-grade fenestration, aluminum is an environmentally conscious choice. After years of reliable service, 95% of all aluminum used in window installations can be recycled into new window products. At Winco, at least 60% of the aluminum we use is recycled content.

Winco's commercial windows use aluminum framing, an inherently sustainable material due to its ease of recyclability. Manufacturing processes continue to be more efficient, using less energy and local, renewable materials. As a result, there is less manufacturing waste, and any overages or by-products are recycled.

 Winco prioritizes eco-friendly operations that help many of our customers obtain the highest level of LEED and other green certifications. Among the recyclable materials we use to manufacture our windows are aluminum, glass, and cardboard packaging.

All our windows feature aluminum frames—an intentional design decision based on aluminum’s ease of availability, lasting durability, design flexibility, and high recyclability.

We use low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paintings, and coatings. Our aluminum extrusions are painted with a process that captures and destroys 100% of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) present in the paint with an oxidizer. This oxidizer burns the VOCs at 1500°F, converting them into harmless water vapor.

Winco uses a specially designed system to neutralize wastewater produced from our anodize operation and render it non-hazardous. Our etching process, along with the etch bath, significantly decreases the number of solids produced with less time in the caustic tank. All by-products are collected and recycled.

The glass used in Winco’s windows comes from reliable sustainable sources, including the top glass and glass processing companies in the United States.  All our suppliers adhere to proven glass manufacturing sustainable practices. 

Whether due to change orders or resizing, Winco may have a leftover window or two from a job. When possible, Winco donates these windows to a project in need.

U-Value is the benchmark of comfort and energy savings. The lower the value, the less heat and cold are transmitted. Our well-insulated windows achieve superior thermal performance ratings of less than .35 U-value. This is attributed to our winning combination of enhanced design and top-tier materials, including multiple layers of glass, film, gas fill, thermal edge spacer, thermal break, and triple weather-stripping. These components are combined in an engineered, thermally broken aluminum system made with Azon’s Azo-Brader™ to outperform many other competitive thermal windows.

The Azon Azo Brader® process mechanically conditions the surface of the thermal cavity. The process runs the entire length of the extrusion and creates serrations for proper adhesion of the structural polymer. The structural urethane is a high-density, two-part formula providing optimal thermal performance in the most demanding conditions. Winco provides a 10-year warranty against thermal break creep and shrinkage following AAMA 505-98.

By weatherstripping all operating ventilators with a double Santoprene®, non-shrinking thermoplastic weatherstrip around the interior and exterior perimeters, Winco windows remain energy efficient and help prevent air and water leakage.

Winco has excelled in creating aluminum framing systems windows and doors capable of withstanding high winds, impacts from airborne debris, water damage, and leakage produced by tornadoes and hurricanes. Our products are built to meet FEMA and FGIA standards, as well as local building codes in high-risk coastal environments or along Tornado Alley. 

It’s critical to keep essential facilities such as police, fire, EMS headquarters, storm shelters, and hospitals operating during catastrophic storms, power outages, or man-made attacks. In response, we manufacture and test with our in-house testing facilities, and use independent testing services as required.  We build for occupant safety according to the standards set by FEMA P-361, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s third edition of Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes, as well as for ICC 500-14 and 2020 certification, as specified by the ICC and National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) joint project to design facilities for use as emergency shelters.