Doors, Windows & Glazing Feature


Maintenance & Refurbishment


Windows & doors sustainability – it’s time for action


Chris Coxon of Eurocell discusses the important issue of sustainability in the fenestration sector and how improvements can be made


E


ver since the documentary series Blue Planet was broadcast by the BBC, the public has become increasingly aware of the impact that human activity is having on the planet. And while Blue Planet may


have brought this to the forefront of people’s minds, over the past 18 months there has been accelerating demand for more action to be taken on everything from plastic waste through to conservation efforts and taking steps to fight climate change. The upshot of all this – and why it should matter to the construction and


housing sector – is that the public are now demanding that more be done to tackle sustainability throughout society. And no sector, including fenestration, can afford to ignore this.


THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY The construction industry is notorious for its waste, with 32 per cent of total waste in landfill coming from the sector; of the 420 million tonnes of materials used by the industry each year, 120 million tonnes end up as waste in landfill. However, the sector is beginning to realise that now is the time for change, with a number of progressive businesses in the sector making strides in the fields of waste management and recycling. Building products manufacturers have a huge role to play in the


amount of waste that does – or equally doesn’t – end up on the landfill heap. With approximately seven million windows replaced in the UK alone each year, the fenestration sector has the potential to have a huge impact on this – and for the better! 80 per cent of the seven million windows replaced in the UK each year are


made from PVCu. And while plastic can be a dirty word in some cases, in recent years the fenestration industry has proved that PVCu isn’t just recyclable in theory – it can be done, and is being done, in practice. Take our business for example – over the past 10 years Eurocell has


invested approximately £10m in developing PVCu recycling capabilities and its state-of-the-art recycling plant, which has saved well over 60,000 tonnes of end-of-life PVCu ending up in landfill. We’ve also manufactured eight product ranges from recycled PVCu. And it’s not just Eurocell that is making strides in this field – there are other


likeminded businesses that are investing in similar processes, which can only be a good thing for the sector. THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT Let’s get back to the science. There is a misconception among many that PVCu, like many plastics, is non-recyclable, when actually it is a construction material that can have its lifetime significantly extended to help reduce waste. But how? As a result of scientific behaviour changes, such as the impact modifier compounds, for the first four to five times PVCu is recycled, it actually gets stronger by up to 6 per cent. This means that PVCu can be re-processed and re-used to manufacture


products of equal quality, creating an ‘upstream’ recycling process. This recycling process is one that every PVCu product can go through up to 10 times, meaning that the lifespan of the average PVCu product can be extended from 35 years to 350, as stated by the BRE.


PROMOTING INDUSTRY WIDE-CHANGE However, while we know that the building material can be – and is being – recycled widely, how can change be promoted more widely across the industry?


With approximately seven million windows replaced in the UK alone each year, the fenestration sector has the potential to have a huge impact on this


Everyone from building products manufacturers and construction firms, to policy makers and installers have their part to pay in making a change. At Eurocell, for example, we’ve put in place a logistics operation to enable us


to collect units for recycling. This includes a free pick-up service that utilises our existing fleet to return end-of-life frames to our recycling plant in Derbyshire. Installers are also able to drop off their used frames at two drop off centres across the country. We’re also investing heavily in educating the industry on the work


we’re doing. We recently launched an eBook, ‘Sorting It: A guide to PVC-U Sustainability - Separating fact from fiction’ which dispels some of the myths around PVCu and explains the science behind its sustainability credentials.


NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT Of course, there’s always more that can – and should – be done, which is why we’re constantly working towards improving our recycling and sustainability credentials. As well as making practical changes to our business, we’re also trying to get the conversation around sustainable construction moving. Ultimately if we talk less and act more the construction sector will be well positioned to make a dent in its overall waste and show it means business when it comes to sustainability.


Chris Coxon is head of marketing at Eurocell www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM December/January 2020 | 29


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