Educating the homeowner on ‘plastic’ windows

PVC-U is a highly recyclable building material with a Building Research Establishment Green Guide to Specification A and A+ rating for domestic and commercial application.

A new poll reveals almost half of UK homeowners would not purchase home improvement products containing plastics because of concerns about the impact plastic pollution is having on the planet.

The findings of the independent survey conducted by leading pollster, YouGov found that 44% of total respondents flatly rejected the prospect of buying home improvements manufactured in ‘plastic’.

A further 27% were unsure and 29% said it would not dissuade them from buying them.

At the same time, of those surveyed, 69% said that windows in their homes were currently manufactured from PVC-U.

This compared to 23% for wood, 7% aluminium, 2% other, while 14% of respondents were unsure of material used in the manufacture of the windows installed in their properties.*

When asked if they knew what the abbreviation ‘PVC’ stood for, 54% admitted that they had no idea.

“The results highlight a challenge for the PVC-U window and door industry”, said Rob McGlennon, Managing Director, Deceuninck.

“As a starting point it’s clear that for a lot of UK homeowners, plastic-building products are being tarred with the same broad brush as bottles, bags and other single use plastics.

“The increased awareness about the impact single use plastics are having, is great. For our industry, the fact that this survey reveals that consumers aren’t drawing a line between them and low maintenance, long-life and fully recyclable plastic building products, is a warning of things to come – unless we act now and start to communicate effectively with the homeowner.”

PVC-U is a highly recyclable building material with a Building Research Establishment Green Guide to Specification A and A+ rating for domestic and commercial application. This is founded on a recognised Reference Service Life of at least 35-years and that PVC-U can be recycled up to 10 times without impacting on performance.

Deceuninck has invested more than €15million in support of PVC-U recycling in one of the world’s most advanced recycling and compounding facilities.

This gives it the capability to reprocess up to 45,000 tonnes of post-consumer and post-manufacturing PVC-U per year – the equivalent of preventing 3million windows from going to landfill annually.

Use of recycled material also delivering a reduction in CO2 emissions of 90,000 tonnes compared to virgin feedstocks as well as a 90% energy saving.

The Deceuninck commissioned study also found that 63% of UK homeowners surveyed said that they would be more likely to purchase home improvements, which they saw as being more ‘sustainable’** while 38% of said that they would be prepared to pay more for them.

“As we’ve highlighted, the survey isn’t all stick – there’s a lot of carrot their too. People will choose products which they see as more sustainable over those that they don’t, and are prepared to pay more for them”, continued Rob.

To read the full white paper report covering the YouGov research on attitudes towards sustainable home improvement products, please call 01249 816969 , email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com or visit www.deceuninck.co.uk

*Commissioned by Deceuninck, research was conducted online by YouGov between the 15th and 16th November 2021, using an online interview administered to the YouGov UK panel of 800,000+ individuals. A total of 2000 plus interviews were conducted amongst a sample of 18+ UK adults (including Norther Ireland), of which 1,351 were homeowners. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

As well as educating the homeowner about PVC-u windows and doors, and continuing to invest heavily in recycling, Deceuninck’s range of choice is one of the best the industry can offer. Further survey research undertaken by Deceuninck reveals some homeowner preferences.

Flush Windows

Combining the style of traditional timber windows and doors with modern energy efficiency and security, the Heritage Flush Collection from Deceuninck is the perfect addition to both period and contemporary homes. What are the most important things to think about when buying new or replacement windows? Energy efficiency, cost and security are all essential elements, but for many homeowners, it is style and choice of colour that is now right at the top of their list.

A YouGov survey, commissioned by leading window and door company, Deceuninck UK, revealed that 75% of homeowners consider choice of colour when looking at new windows, preferring to pick from a palette of greys, creams, blacks and woodgrain effects, rather than stick to plain white.

And while the report highlighted that homeowners are now more likely to opt for a colour when specifying their new windows, it also illustrated an increasing desire for products that offered a more premium aesthetic.

Given the choice between a standard or a flush style PVC casement, 62% of those surveyed by YouGov, stated a preference for the latter.

Deceuninck’s award winning Heritage Flush window combines outstanding aesthetics, with class leading performance. Rated A++ for energy efficiency, it offers exceptional weather performance and is available with either double or triple glazing.

Featuring sleek, slimline frames, it can be specified with high quality, heritage style hardware, authentic Georgian bar options and traditional timber style joints.

Highly engineered, it features multipoint locking as standard and is tested to meet the rigorous standards of PAS24 for enhanced security.

Deceuninck’s Flush Sash forms part of the company’s Heritage Flush Collection. This includes a matching flush patio door, which has been designed to perfectly compliment the style, security and performance of the flush window.

Both are also compatible with Deceuninck’s market leading range of colours, with 30+ standard options and a further 20 available on special order.

“Our Heritage Flush Collection is the end result of a considerable amount of R&D,” continues Rob. “That’s reflected in the quality and the attention to detail that has gone into both the Flush Window and the Flush Door.

“The fact that both can be suited with our full range of foiled finishes, makes them even more appealing,” he concludes. “From smooth Anthracite Grey for a contemporary, aluminium style finish, to Golden oak for a truly authentic timber effect, there’s a colour to suit any style and any age of property.”