The Glass & Glazing Federation along with its Fensa and BFRC commercial division brands have joined with Middlesbrough-based CNC Recycling to launch a new PVC-U window and door recycling scheme for members, including free collection from site.
The scheme will initially roll out across Scotland, Wales and northern and central England with plans to cover all the UK in line as demand grows. It will enable GGF members, Fensa and BFRC approved installers as well as manufacturers to book to have de-glazed post-consumer frames and offcuts collected from site free of charge for recycling.
GGF managing director John Agnew said: “This partnership with CNC will encourage the UK PVC-U framing industry to further improve an already successful record in the recycling of old frames to begin life as new products, ideally window and door frames. It is enormously important that the industry is seen to be treating end of life PVC-U frames in such a positive way and appropriate therefore that the industry’s primary representative organisation, the GGF, has launched this scheme.”
Fensa head of membership Chris Beedel added: “As a society, we are all becoming increasingly concerned by the impact of plastic waste on the environment, so diverting window and door frames from landfill with this scheme will not only save installers the significant cost of skip hire, but it will also be an attractive proposition for environmentally conscious consumers. FENSA are delighted to move forward with this scheme in partnership with CNC Recycling. It will certainly be of huge benefit to the installers and manufacturers who participate.”
BFRC operations director Lis Clarke said: “Offering a free service to our clients that helps both their business and the environment is a win, win scenario for the industry. BFRC are thrilled to be a part of such an important initiative that benefits the entire sector and we look forward to seeing the results.”
Melanie Reid, Managing Director of CNC Recycling said: “This service will provide a much-needed service to GGF Members, Fensa Approved Installers, BFRC manufacturers and the industry, whilst also making a significant difference to their sustainability credentials, an increasingly important issue amongst homeowners.”
In addition, scheme participants will receive a certificate at the end of the year, recording the amount of waste material they have recycled via the initiative. The vast majority of materials recycled will remain in the industry to create new fenestration products.
Once collected, the end-of-life PVC-U windows, door frames and virgin offcuts are re-processed to produce a recycled pellet, from which new PVC-U products may be directly manufactured or combined with virgin material to make new, bar-length PVC-U profiles for example. Thus the ‘circular economy’ is completed whilst diverting old frames from landfill and significantly increasing the sustainability of the PVC-U fenestration industry.
