The Most Sustainable Gutter…on Earth

We all agree that using sustainable products makes sense. However, not everyone realises that aluminium gutters are indisputably the most sustainable gutters on Earth.

If you knew you could get a Gutter System that was the most sustainable, lasted around 6 times as long as other gutters, and all for an affordable price, wouldn’t you agree that it would be a complete no-brainer?

Our Earth is an incredible resource and it’s full of natural resources. However, we should use them responsibly in a way that these resources can be used and reused over and over again for a fully sustainable future After all, it’s only common sense not to waste resources with products that can’t be recycled, or which don’t have a good lifespan.

Below we set out three reasons why Aluminium Gutter is the most sustainable guttering on Earth.

3 Reasons Why Aluminium Gutter is The Most Sustainable Gutter on Earth:

1. Aluminium Gutter Has a Long Lifespan

2. Aluminium For Manufacturing Aluminium Guttering is Abundant

3. Aluminium Guttering Is Infinitely Recyclable:

Here’s more detail on these amazing properties that make aluminium an incredible raw material which makes Aluminium Gutters the most sustainable type of guttering you can find anywhere on earth:

Aluminium Gutter Has a Long Lifespan

Aluminium has an incredible lifespan with inherent non-corrosive properties, which stop it from rusting.

Rust Proof: Even when it is cut or drilled, because aluminium has a very high affinity to oxygen it quickly develops a thin, hard film of aluminium oxide. The aluminium oxide layer acts like a protective barrier making it highly corrosion-resistant.

High Strength & Rigidity: In addition to being rust-resistant, aluminium is very rigid meaning that it is excellent at resisting the impacts of extreme weather. Where plastic gutters are flexible and will therefore easily break, aluminium gutters and aluminium downpipes have a much greater rigidity.

The UV rays in sunlight make plastic gutters and downpipes become brittle and crack. For aluminium, you don’t have that issue. In fact, aluminium gutters remain strong and rigid in essentially all habitable climates from sub-zero lows of ice and snow, to the searing heat of the summer sunshine.

Often you will see plastic gutters breaking in cold weather with ice and snow loads. A good quality aluminium gutter should withstand most snow loads, and stronger gutter systems will even withstand over 50kg per linear meter. Choosing a strong aluminium rainwater system will therefore save costs and eliminate frustrating maintenance.

Using a strong aluminium rainwater system also helps in situations where workers who access the gutter may wish to lean their ladders against the gutter, sometimes even inadvertently. With a plastic gutter, this would cause breakage of the gutter and probably the brackets too. This in turn means leaks and the need for costly repairs. However, with a robust aluminium design, provided it is done safely, your gutter would remain in great condition.

It is important to note that the strongest aluminium gutters are extruded aluminium gutters as opposed to pressed aluminium or cast aluminium gutters.

Overall Lifespan and Sustainability: With the combination of corrosion-proof raw material and a high-strength design, a great quality aluminium gutter could typically last an estimated 60 years. That’s typically 6 times longer than some plastic gutters last.

Broken and tired plastic gutters generally get scrapped and sent to landfill waste, whereas aluminium gutters will generally not be replaced in two generations. When they are finally replaced, they are fully recyclable, which we explain more about later in this article. 

This single manufacturing cycle in 60 years is one of the three main factors that make aluminium guttering the most sustainable rainwater system on earth.

Aluminium For Manufacturing Aluminium Guttering is Abundant

Aluminium is the most abundant metal on earth, making up a massive 8.23% of the earth’s crust. In fact, it’s the third most abundant element in the earth’s crust after Oxygen at 46.10% and Silicon at 28.20%. It is used in many everyday products such as drink cans, tin foil and saucepans, as well as in the manufacturing of advanced machines, car parts, trains, boats and aeroplanes.

The illustration below shows just how large a percentage of the earth’s crust is aluminium:

Another important point to note is that aluminium is a natural element and therefore even if for some reason small parts were not recycled then should they end up in a landfill site, the aluminium would return safely as a natural element where it came from and would not create dangerous or harmful toxins as other plastic gutter fittings might.

Making sure we are using elements that are naturally abundant is a key factor in the sustainability of the Earth. Why use rare metals or complex compounds when we can instead harness the resources that are available in massive quantities? – Let’s make sure all guttering is eco-friendly.

The simple abundance of aluminium is another key factor that makes aluminium guttering the most sustainable rainwater system on Earth.

Aluminium Guttering Is Infinitely Recyclable

Here’s the really significant reason why it makes sense to use aluminium gutters. There is no limit to the number of times you can recycle Aluminium.

Think about that for a minute… it literally means you can take any aluminium product and reuse it to create something new that is as good as if you used newly extracted raw materials. It would have exactly the same strength and longevity.

Aluminium also holds its value, so when it comes to taking it to a recycling centre, they are always glad to take it from you. Alternatively, scrap metal companies will generally pay you for your old aluminium scrap, so you get some money back, reducing your costs and helping you be eco-friendly too.

Unlike plastics, where often a significant percentage of new resin has to be used to ensure desired strength and longevity, for aluminium it makes no difference, and many aluminium products are already made using recycled material already.

This continual cycle of manufacture-recycle-manufacture-recycle is the way we will ensure we are using the earth’s resources in a truly sustainable way.

The fact you can recycle aluminium again and again, forever is yet another point which makes aluminium guttering undeniably the most sustainable guttering and downpipe system on earth.

Extra Aluminium Gutter Facts :

Are Aluminium Gutters More Expensive Than Plastic?

Typically, aluminium gutter will be 50% more than plastic guttering. However, over the lifespan of the guttering, it could work out 2 or 3 times less due to the long-lasting properties of aluminium rainwater systems.

Some new aluminium gutter systems are available that will reduce this cost difference so that you will be able to buy aluminium gutter for a similar price to plastic gutter. This is a real game-changer and makes the decision to use aluminium guttering a complete no-brainer.

Other Gutter materials or types of gutter materials

In this article, we have mainly touched on plastic and aluminium gutters. However, gutters are also made of cast iron, zinc and even copper. Each of these has a distinct disadvantage; cast iron gutters rust, zinc gutter corrode and looks very industrial, and copper gutter is very expensive. This is why aluminium gutters are such a clear winner; it is long-lasting, affordable, sustainable, and available in any colour.

Have you got a guttering project you are looking for advice on? Do you regularly install gutters? Then why not Live Chat with our friendly Experts who can help and advise on every aspect of your requirements?

Related Blog Articles:

• 10 Benefits of Aluminium Gutters
• 7 Reasons Not To Buy Plastic Guttering

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