Sustainability Certifications
At Vitro Architectural Glass, it is our mission to continually raise the industry standard for sustainability. Vitro became the first U.S. glass manufacturer to have its entire collection of architectural glass products recognized by the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program and is the first North American manufacturer to publish third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for flat glass and processed glass products.
Since that time, Vitro has continued to improve its sustainability practices and has achieved new heights in sustainability certification across the building products industry. Recently, Vitro released new EPDs that highlight our low embodied carbon products and received improved Cradle to Cradle® certifications.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
In 2017, Vitro became the first North American manufacturer to publish third-party verified EPDs for flat glass and processed glass products. These documents provide detailed data about the life-cycle impacts of Vitro glass products on the environment. EPDs may be used as credentialing for LEED® and other green building certification programs and are now necessary to demonstrate compliance with embodied carbon limits in places like California, which recently amended its CALGreen Building Standards Code to place limits on embodied carbon emissions in commercial and school buildings.
Vitro recently announced it received an updated Environmental Product Declaration for its flat glass products that indicate its architectural glass products contain just 1,240 kilograms of CO2 equivalent, which is 13% lower than the National Glass Association’s industry standard.
Vitro’s EPDs are product-specific and apply to all Vitro’s North American-made flat and processed glass products manufactured at any Vitro glass plant. They are not limited to one specific product type or location, like some manufacturers.
Vitro Products Meet New Standards for Low Embodied Carbon in Glass
In establishing best practices for the U.S. building products industry, standards were set for low embodied carbon (LEC) products by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). In 2024, the GSA announced new standards for materials that can be considered LEC products.
By these standards, LEC products can fall into three different product categories according to embodied carbon content:
| Product Category | Embodied Carbon Content |
| Acceptable | 1,401-1,371 kg CO2e |
| Preferred | 1,371-1,332 kg CO2e |
| Most Preferred | < 1,331 kg CO2e |
Based on these standards, all Vitro Architectural Glass products meet the Top 20% ("Most Preferred") LEC material category.
Cradle to Cradle® Certification Updated
In 2008, Vitro Architectural Glass became the first U.S. glass manufacturer to have its entire collection of architectural glass products recognized by the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program. Today, Vitro Glass’s product selection is Cradle to Cradle® Bronze certified.
Recently, Vitro earned two noteworthy increases in subcategory certification: Material Health, which increased to Platinum, and Material Reutilization, which increased to Gold. Vitro also successfully achieved Cradle to Cradle® Bronze certification for the first time for two additional products: Platia® Mirror Glass and Pavia® Acid-Etched Glass.
Subcategory certification levels, valid through April 23, 2026, are below.
| Category | Certification |
| Material Health | Platinum |
| Material Reutilization | Gold |
| Renewable Energy and Carbon Management | Bronze |
| Water Stewardship | Bronze |
| Social Fairness | Silver |
For more information about Vitro’s commitment to sustainable products and practices, visit vitroglazings.com/sustainability.
