April 2022

PVC-U recycling
TIME FOR CHANGE?
Paul Webb, Director of Recycling at Eurocell, explains how its ‘closed loop’ recycling service
is helping to stop significant volumes of waste plastic materials ending up in landfill, and how
this can help installers offer more sustainable choices to homeowners
Installers working on home improvement
projects have several things to consider when
it comes to the types of materials they choose,
but, when it comes to PVC-U used for windows,
doors and other products, many installers may
not realise the full sustainability benefits they
can offer.
Eurocell has been committed to supporting the
aims and ambitions of recycling for more than 20
years. Recognising a corporate need to do what
is required to minimise plastic waste and, where
possible, reuse materials across our largescale
manufacturing processes, we have, over time,
moved from externally purchasing recycled plastic
to the establishment of our own nationwide waste
recycling system. This is now used to furnish
Eurocell’s manufacturing operation with recycled
plastic raw material.
Eurocell Recycle allows us to meet two primary
objectives: it helps prevent sending plastic waste
to landfill and, secondly, it enables us to recycle
old products at the end of their life into new
Eurocell is committed to
continuing to advance the
sustainability agenda
Eurocell’s two waste recycling plants at
Ilkeston and Selby are now responsible for
processing approximately 44,000 tonnes
of PVC-U waste annually
PVC-U profiles.
Such has been the success of the service; the newly
created material now accounts for around 29% of
all the material Eurocell’s manufacturing business
required to generate our extensive range of brandnew
dual material extruded plastic products.
British standards dictate we must use a certain
amount of virgin material in specific areas, as
such it’s incorporated into the outer face so that
it doesn’t impact the look or UV performance of
the frames, but wherever possible we replace
virgin plastic for recycled plastic on all new
products.
Two PVC-U waste plastic recycling plants at
Ilkeston and Selby are at the heart of the Eurocell
Recycle service and their combined efforts are
delivering real benefit.
Using a ‘closed loop’ recycling system that deals
with both post-consumer and post-industrial
plastic waste, the two plants are now responsible
for processing approximately 44,000 tonnes of
PVC-U waste annually, equivalent to around 3.4m
window frames, a figure that has been steadily
rising as demand for recycled product solutions
has escalated in recent years.
Without the service, a high proportion of the
plastic waste generated by large manufacturers,
fabricators, and installers would simply end up
in landfill and contribute further to the waste
disposal challenge the UK continually faces.
Continued on page 52
50 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST