Recycling uPVC frames

August 5th, 2008 · 5 Comments

Last month I discussed the new intitiatives PVCAware and Fighting Back with Facts, and it spurred me on to look at the whole recycling thing.

What I’ve managed to agree is that from now on Dekura will collect all our uPVC offcuts as per usual on a weekly basis, but they will also collect any post consumer waste such as:

First generation PVC frames removed from peoples homes

Mismeasured or damaged PVC frames

Any other rigid uPVC products, such as rainwater goods

.
Dekura are supplying us with a trolley to store the frames, and we have now banned our fitting teams from throwing any uPVC products into our general skip. Dekura will collect these frames along with our manufacturing offcuts and then separate the metal and uPVC content ensuring that it is all reused. They have supplied me with a video showing the process of chopping these old frames into bits, then magnets pull out the steel and other metals, they then clean all the silicones, gaskets and general building waste from the frames, to leave a reusable uPVC product. Amazing!

We have contacted all of our Conservatory Outlet dealers and trade customers and made them aware that we will happily collect any post consumer waste they have generated. As we deliver new products to them, our drivers are now instructed to bring back any old uPVC frames, mismeasures, cock-ups etc. Our customers are delighted with this as they will not need to empty their skips as often. Individually it’s not easy for small installers to try recycling a few frames here and there, but collectively all the installation companies get through quite a lot of post consumer waste.

What I found frustrating is that all these uPVC recycling companies are struggling to get hold of enough uPVC to recycle, yet so much is going to landfill!

Tags: environmental issues · uPVC recycling · conservatory outlet

5 responses so far ↓

1 Simon Cook // Aug 6, 2008 at 10:01 am

I find your experience of recycling frames to be the exact opposite of ours!
We have asked a certain plastic collection firm who also collect our offcuts on a regular basis, if they can collect our first generation frames.
We were told this is not a problem however, it seems they struggle to collect them on a regular basis and we are told that the recycling plant/transport is running at capacity therefore they cant collect. I hope you have more luck than we have had.
2 Renegade Conservatory Guy // Aug 6, 2008 at 10:11 am

Hi Simon

It’s obviously early days for us, as we have only just set the deal up. But Dekura were clearly delighted to be taking the first generation frames - so maybe you could try them ou.

I did talk with Ecoplas and Vinyl Powders who were both very keen to take them.

But, we’ll see how we get on.

RCG
3 john prigmore // Sep 26, 2008 at 5:10 pm

Point me in the direction of these frames etc.
4 Pete Clarney // Sep 29, 2008 at 6:45 am

I support J Prigmore’s comment we are a SME and are always on the look out for frames and off cuts send them in or we can collect even from Wakefield.
5 Simon Scholes // Oct 9, 2008 at 10:55 am

I can only add to some of the comments already posted. We recycle off cuts and post consumer windows and turn as much as possible back into new windows closing the loop.

The biggest problem is indeed getting access to the material in the first place. It is really good to hear that a company is taking such proactive steps to not put any material to landfill.

We want to prevent pvc window material going to landfill when it is a product that can be re-used again and again by offering a sustainable and long lasting solution.

Our parent company in Germany has been recycling PVC since 1993 and has the luxury that PVC is actually banned from landfill so has to be recycled.

Any company that wants to recycle their PVC waste is a good thing. the more the merrier!!

Renegade Conservatory Guy

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