THE ISSUE OF PVC-U RECYCLING IS TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY BY VEKA RECYCLING

THE ISSUE OF PVC-U RECYCLING IS TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY BY VEKA RECYCLING – AND VERY EFFICIENTLY!

Jul 7, 2022, News, Windows

Picture above : After weighing in, material is added to the pile

Attending a trade press day at Veka Recycling Chris Champion, Editor of Glass News, had the opportunity to understand the importance of recycling of PVC-U material, the methodology involved and how important recycling has been to the Veka Group, especially during a time of difficulty in sourcing virgin material. Managing Director of Veka Recycling, Simon Scholes clearly explained the company’s role and guided us around the impressive Wellingborough facility.

Simon proudly proclaimed the Veka Recycling Group as being the ‘leader in PVC window recycling’. Emphasising the point by stating that they have built the newest and most advanced PVC window recycling plant in Europe – possibly the world!

Simon Scholes explains the principles of recycling

For all its size and influence around the world, Veka is still a family owned company, founded back in 1969. Its presence is pretty much worldwide with 25 Veka facilities in 16 countries although that number has now diminished with the announcement that they are withdrawing from Russia and selling the business to the management.

Although incorporated in 2006, Veka Recycling Ltd actually became operational in 2007 and based in Kent, with the site in Wellingborough being purchased in 2018 and it is now one of three Veka plants that combined, recycle 100,000 tonnes of PVC-U window material each year. The material consists of post consumer frames and virgin off cuts. So how does it work and whose frames are they? The answer is frames from any system house and it was interesting to see the different brands in the enormous pile awaiting recycling. We watched as contractors brought in material by the wagon load while the white van man was also arriving with frames in the back. They are all weighed in as, yes, you are paid for your old PVC-U and there are people who are making a successful living from collecting frames and off cuts. This all raised a question in my mind as to those on the road representing Veka Recycling….are they salesmen for the recycling solution or buyers looking for product to recycle? And the answer is both although sourcing that constant supply of material is key.

As far as Wellingborough is concerned, they alone will recycle 30,000 tonnes in 2022 and that represents around 1.8 million window frames and what is impressive is the full recycling process being on site. The fact that an old frame can be unloaded at one end and reappear as bead, or melt filtrated pellet, at the other end ready to be used in making brand new frames, is impressive. On the face of it the process is relatively simple. Chop it up and keep grinding it down into fine particles to sieve through ever finer filters until all elements of metals, glass and rubber compounds are removed so that pellets can be formed. However, simple it may be, but costly to design and build and over £15m has been ploughed into this new UK facility.

Veka is committed to educating the trade and, indeed, the consumer to the fact that recycled PVC-U is ideal in many ways and the recent pandemic proved the point when polymer was in short supply. Not surprising therefore that Veka PLC, the Burnley-based systems division, has become Veka Recycling’s biggest client and by supplying recycled pellet in volume Veka was able to offset much of the widely reported disruption to PVC-U resin that occurred in recent months.

Managing Director, Simon Scholes, said: “The Wellingorough plant was built from scratch to take advantage of the latest recycling technologies and we now produce the highest quality polymer for use in a range of products, including brand new window and doorframe profiles. We have the ability to promote and deliver PVC-U windows as truly sustainable at a time when plastic generally is under close scrutiny and to make the most of what is a tremendous resource. And of course, greater emphasis than ever in now placed on recycled PVC-U material following the supply chain issues that have hit the industry in recent times.”

Homeowners are becoming increasingly aware of ways to reduce their environmental impact, with retail installers also reporting an interest shown by homeowners in the future of the windows being removed from their homes: “The recent FIT Show provided considerable anecdotal evidence that homeowners now want to know that the PVC-U windows being removed from their homes will be dealt with sustainably. This is gathering momentum, with more retailers now proactively advising homeowners that their old windows will be recycled,” explained Simon.

The leadership shown by Veka in pioneering recycling of PVC-U extends to educating everyone in the supply chain and cleaning up the image of reprocessing, says Simon: “We are determined to make sure people understand the logistics and realities of recycling windows, especially the potential consequences for installers and their homeowner customers for committing waste fraud, which is a serious issue.”

The visit to Veka Recycling was not only eye opening but also very interesting, made more so by Simon’s explanations and guidance through the whole process. It was like being taken round by your favourite High School teacher! Simon is obviously a huge fan when it comes to recycling and his knowledge allied to his sense of humour made it easy to see the benefits afforded by this Veka Recycling facility. Old frames for new is definitely the way to go!