Record PVC-U Recycling Rates Forecast by Recovinyl

Nearly 40,000 tonnes of PVC-U will have been recycled in 2007, according to record figures forecast by Recovinyl, the PVC-U industry's recycling initiative. This volume comfortably exceeds the year's target of 30,000 tonnes.

Roger Morton, of Axion Recycling, Recovinyl's UK agents, says the figure reflects major investment in new plant and equipment by many of the scheme's 30-plus recyclers, coupled with an increased awareness of plastic recycling generally within the construction industry.

‘This is a tremendous achievement, much of it helped by growth in the recycling infrastructure which has made it easier for businesses to recycle, rather than landfill, their waste PVC-U,’ he says. ‘This not only saves them money on rising disposal costs, but also lessens the environmental impact.’

Recovinyl's recycled tonnages have also been boosted by more post-consumer windows coming into the waste stream for recycling, along with more diverse plastic building products too. ‘These include pipes, cable management and flooring products that are being diverted from landfill and turned back into new products without any loss of performance or quality,’ continues Roger.

It is this increasing use of recycled content in building products, such as reinforcement for PVC-U windows, which has contributed to Recovinyl's success since the scheme's 2005 launch here. The UK's Europe-leading performance for PVC recycling has seen recycled rigid and flexible material being re-used in high grade applications, from new components to cills, cladding and roofline products.

Roger adds: ‘Building products made from 100% recycled PVC-U are all examples of how the material can help the UK's construction industry improve its commitment to sustainability. Companies that source 100% recycled products can truly demonstrate 'closed-loop recycling', contributing to cost-effective environmentally-friendly solutions as well as boosting their 'green' credentials.’

Recycling preserves natural resources with associated savings in energy and provides a significant reduction in carbon emissions compared to using virgin polymer. Research suggests PVC-U products can successfully be recycled more than 10 times.

Recovinyl is funded by the PVC industry body Vinyl 2010 formed to demonstrate commitment to sustainable development. It is backed by the British Plastics Federation and supported by the Waste and Resources Action Programme http://www.wrap.org.uk.

Axion Recycling Ltd.
Tel: 0161 426 7731
Web: http://www.axionrecycling.com