What exactly is a "green" metal roofing contractor? Is it some little alien from another planet that installs energy star metal roofing? I'm only kidding. A green metal roofing contractor is one that truly cares about the planet. They are good stewards of the environment. How does that get quantified?

If a homeowner is looking to purchase a metal roofing system for their home and is interested in going green, here are a few important considerations. When meeting with your prospective contractors, you should ask them about the product that they are recommending. Does it meet the energy star guidelines? Is the roof made from aluminum? The aluminum industry, in its efforts to be "green", has stated that it will have a zero percent impact on the environment within the next 15 years.

Does the manufacturer of the metal roof you are considering use post-consumer recycled aluminum in the product? If so, can they demonstrate it? 

What does post-consumer recycled mean? Post consumer recycled is material that has been put into the market place and used by the consumer. Then, it has been collected and returned to a recycling facility to be processed and put back into a new product.

Many companies claim their products are made of recycled materials. The fact is, under close examination, one will find that they are made from industrial scrap, which is typically material that they themselves generate in the manufacturing process and reuse. 

Another pertinent question to ask is whether the contractor doing the installation is recycling the scrap aluminum material generated at the job site?  This is yet another post-consumer source of recycling. 

What is the price of metal roofing that's gone green?  It's typically no more than aluminum roofing that is not recycled, which is a great reason to consider the product that comes from the environment. The next time you recycle aluminum cans or anything else that is made from aluminum, know that the cycle is being completed when you purchase a roof made from this material.