86% of UK homeowners do not know that PVC-U windows and doors can be, and are being, recycled, according to a new independent study commissioned by Deceuninck and conducted by YouGov. “It’s a pretty damning indictment”, said Rob McGlennon, Deceuninck’s managing director.
He added: “In a commercial environment where product sustainability is increasingly important, we clearly have work to do.” When asked which window and door frame material type they believed was most recyclable, 37% of homeowners said wood, 32% chose aluminium, and only 10% chose PVC-U. The remainder were unsure.
These findings directly impacted how sustainable each material was seen to be. Window and door frames manufactured in wood polled 46% of the popular vote. Aluminium was seen as less energy efficient by respondents, and as most sustainable by only 12% of those polled. PVC-U was cited by 12% of those surveyed.
Rob continued: “There is a challenge here. The message isn’t getting across to the end user, despite the efforts we’re making as an industry to recycle more.
“That’s got to change. For those companies who drive it, there are going to be some great opportunities ahead. For those who don’t, well I’m afraid they’re going to miss out.”
Deceuninck has invested more the €15m in supporting 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 3m windows from going to landfill annually.
The business’ use of recycled material is delivering a reduction in CO2 emissions of 90,000 tonnes compared to virgin feedstocks, as well as a 90% energy saving. PVC-U is a highly recyclable building material with a BRE-recognised Reference Service Life of at least 35 years. PVC-U can be recycled up to 10 times without impacting on performance.
“These are some pretty powerful messages. Communicating the process that goes into the manufacture of product containing recycled material is a great way of showing end users just how technically advanced PVC-U systems are, and to upsell our offer alongside other innovations, including colour and energy efficiency,” Rob concluded. For more information about Deceuninck’s product and service offer, call 01249 816 969, email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com or visit deceuninck.co.uk.
