Off all the systems companies articles that get pushed out on a regular basis, I have highlighted this one as an important one. Important because the world and it’s ever growing population has a very pressing need to become far more energy efficient than it is now, and more specifically our industry has to as well. This is why the VEKA announcement about it’s carbon saving is crucial.

VEKA announced that since implementing a wave of new energy efficiency measures, they have saved a massive 2208 tonnes of carbon from being emitted. This is clearly a huge reduction and something that we have to applaud VEKA for.

Sales and Marketing Director Colin Torley said:

Some of the changes we have made include switching our extrusion line motors from DC to AC, fitting variable speed compressors on air lines on all extrusion tables, as well as modifying cooling towers to give energy savings in water cooling. 

We also implemented an energy management system, so we now have an instant record of the electricity each machine in the factory consumes, and we have enforced energy awareness training for all operatives in the factory.

VEKA do have a lot of awards to their name, thanks to their energy efficiency efforts. But it’s not just VEKA doing their bit for the industry. At the end of 2011, Eurocell opened a brand new £3m recycling plant which can process up to 12,000 old window and door frames per week. You can find the original post I did here: https://www.doubleglazingblogger.com/2011/12/money-for-old-frames/

Though it may not be one of the most talked about subjects in our industry right now, recycling in our industry is gathering a decent pace. But it has to be something we are all involved in together. From a post consumer waste point of view, the company I work for does as much as it can, and could probably do a little bit more. All our old PVC frames are taken away by specialist recycling company Ecoplas. Our old aluminium and steel windows are saved up and taken to our local scrap metal dealers…who of course pay us in the correct manner as is now law ;-)! Our old timber frames are taken away by a man who works for our window supplier. He has a farm and uses it for various purposes, as well as wood burning stoves.

We put very little in our skip now. In fact at the moment it is just bricks, odds and ends from fitting jobs and glass units. We do use LSS Skips in Leeds who do recycle that sort of stuff at their end, so we are making sure that our business puts as little in the ground as possible. Plus, it saves on skips, which are costing £175 for a 14 yarder!

The marketing and advertising benefits associated with green credentials and environmental policy are endless. No one now wants to be associated with a heavily fossil fuel-burning, careless, inefficient company these days. Being Green is cool and people/companies want to be associated with that. Systems companies and manufacturers need to be beating that drum and really use it as their USP’s. If you’re an installer, the average consumer is really tuning in to the ‘Green’ idea, so why not make the most of what you’re doing environment wise?

You can find more information on the VEKA Carbon Saving post here: http://vekauk.com/profile/news/2013/03/26/veka-records-an-astounding-2208-tonne-carbon-saving.html