WE’VE DONE THE HARD PART NOW IT’S DOWN TO YOU.

The tech behind Europe’s most advanced PVC-U recycling facility at Wellingborough is well established. VEKA

Recycling boss Stuart Stockley says now they are making it easier for installers to return old frames back into the system.

Recycling old PVC-U window and door frames is hardly a new concept, with VEKA Recycling’s first plant dedicated to returning this eminently sustainable material being built as long ago as 1993. With most major systems houses now using recycled PVC-U as a matter of course, we might consider it ‘job done’. But whilst offcuts of virgin PVC-U – that is to say uninstalled –material, is part of our core proposition to fabricators, the issue of encouraging more installers to return old frames for recycling as a matter of course, remains a challenge.

Now, says VEKA Recycling’s managing director Stuart Stockley, steps are being taken to ensure that installers everywhere soon regard returning frames for reprocessing as routine as hiring a skip: “One of the key issues is collecting old frames but, as demand grows for recycled material to be included in new, virgin PVC-U profiles, then so too is the requirement for feedstock,” explains Stuart. “Old frames can be a real headache locally and our priority it to ensure that it becomes second nature for busy installers to send the frames back to us.”

One initiative VEKA Recycling is taking, says Stuart, is the creation collection hubs at strategic locations throughout the UK: “The first collection hub is at Burnley. This enables us to consolidate collections from our partners throughout Scotland and the north of England, whilst also allowing installers within a reasonable distance to drop off their old frames, whatever brand of profile. We estimate local drop off to become extremely popular as installers can clear the old frames to suit themselves, rather than wait for skip collections. And the cost of disposal will be minimised this way.”

Local collection services will also be developed using smaller vehicles, with the Burnley site developing a model that may be replicated at other sites in the future: “The disposal of old frames is always a nuisance for installers although one that goes with the job,” said Stuart. “If installers do not already return old frames for recycling, then we want to create a service to do so that is quicker and easier and - certainly cheaperthan using skips.

Also under consideration is the carbon footprint of returning old fames for reprocessing. The location of VEKA Recycling’s plant in central England was a key factor in the construction of the plant, confirms Stuart: “By locating our plant in Wellingborough, carrying out the full process of recycling the material into polymer pellet in the same plant and by consolidating material into large loads for return to our site, we significantly reduce the carbon footprint of transporting material.

Stuart says that further services are being introduced to make the collection of old window frames easier for installers: “One of the chores for installers to return windows for recycling, rather than simply throw the frames into a skip, is de-glazing,” he says.

“Later this year we will pilot a new scheme to collect old IGUs with the frames, which we believe will significantly boost the number returned for processing. We will take glass units with the frames, remove the old spacer, Georgian bar and leaded lights, before crushing the glass to cullet.

“The cullet will then be made into new flat glass, which uses around 30% of recycled material in its manufacture; it’s a wellestablished and highly effective process,” he added. “Ideally frames should be deglazed, but we are even investigating how we can assist the installer to overcome this challenge,” added Stuart. “We simply want to collect as much material as possible and to make it as simple as possible for installers.”