It’s hard to imagine door hardware being green. Not door hardware with a green finish, but door hardware that contributes to a building’s sustainability. 

A sustainable building is one that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient through its full life cycle. The United States Green Building Council developed the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification system to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings over their life, providing the definitive standard for what constitutes a “green” building. LEED® is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED® promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health--sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED® system ratings are developed through an open, consensus based process led by LEED® committees.

With buildings trying to achieve LEED® certification levels, the industry is encouraged to develop products that are more environmentally and economically viable. And door hardware is no exception.

At Hager Companies, we’re concerned about how our company and products affect the environment. We have more than 160 years of experience in the door hardware industry and a longstanding tradition of environmental awareness. Many of the materials we use in the production of products are made of both pre- and post-consumer materials, helping projects earn LEED® points.

The LEED® rating system includes a category ‘Materials & Resources’ that “facilitates the reduction of waste generated by building occupants that is hauled to and disposed of in landfills.” Credits 4.1 and 4.2 were created “to increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.” The credits are awarded by using products with recycled content greater than or equal to 10 percent (post-consumer recycled content added to one-half the preconsumer content). If the total content is greater than or equal to 10 percent, 1 credit is awarded. If the total content is greater than or equal to 20 percent, two points are awarded.

MR Credit 5.1 Regional Materials: Extracted and Manufactured Regionally

The following products are manufactured in Montgomery, Alabama, in 
the postal code 36105:

Butt Hinges
Protection Plates
Push and Pull Plates
Thresholds and Weatherstripping Products
Roton Continuous Geared Hinges 

If any of the above products are used, and the project site is within 500 
miles of postal code 36105, 1 credit can be earned.

By specifying and using Hager products, the door hardware on a building 
can help earn points toward LEED® certification. Door hardware can be 
green. Trust Hager to help earn your next project LEED® points.