I saw the other day a manufacturer boasting about it’s profile being made fro 100% virgin PVC. It is this ladies and gents that highlights a problem that is going to be hard to overcome.
We all know about how much the world is dependent on oil and that at some point stocks are going to start to dwindle. Given that very defiant fact, it still staggers me how little recycled PVC is being used in the market. Bear in mind that our products come as a direct result of oil, when that runs out, virgin PVC will run out too. That is why I firmly believe the industry really has to ramp up it’s efforts to introduce more recycled products into the supply stream.
The industry also has to understand that virgin PVC should be seen as an un-environmentally friendly way of making windows and doors. I’m talking about the whole fenestration industry now and not just the PVC sector. All materials we use can be recycled and used again, quite easily. I firmly believe that we should NOT be waiting until the very last drop of oil is used before we are panicked into action. If we make significant moves now we can ensure that the industry’s dependency on oil doesn’t cause any more damage than it has to, and we can start educating the general public about the steps fenestration is taking to make itself more environmentally friendly.
I completely understand that the allures of selling something completely “brand new” is a very easy sell to the consumer. But long term it is unsustainable. There will come a time where virgin PVC will simply be too expensive to make and sell. But this time won’t come when oil runs out, it will come when peak oil is reached and supply started to fail demand. It is at that point when oil prices will shoot up beyond all measure and the commodity will become too expensive to use in conventional ways.
There are some out there trying to incorporate recycled materials into their products, but there is so much more to do.
Agree? Do you think we should be doing more to get recycled products into our portfolios? Or do you think we should continue as we are? All comments welcome in the section below.
I work for a company proud to use 100% Virgin uPVC, yet still has prudentials to show it is an ECO friendly and responsible green company, Of course old window frames should be recycled or if your taking out old wooded frames burnt to heat the working environment, but recycled UPVC should not be used in new window frames. How do you know if lead which was used as a whiting agent is present, what else is in the mix? What the integrity of the weld? uPVC can be used 5-7 times over giving a life cycle of some 150-200… Read more »
Joe is right. We recycle but use Veka virgin frames initially. They will stay white and fulfill promises made to customers. The Upvc that we remove to install our replacement windows is being recycled by being reconstituted within inferior products with more basic uses.Maybe dustpans, brushes etc that don’t have to defend from the sun, rain and the general environment for 30 plus years whilst still remaining attractive.