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Recycling call for “first generation” PVC windows

pvcwindows.jpgPVC recyclers Shredtec are offering builders and window firms up to £70 per tonne for old PVC windowframes, and saving them approximately £42 per tonne in landfill fees. Here’s the lowdown from letsrecycle.com

The news came as the Recovinyl scheme said the “first generation” of PVC windows is now reaching the end of its life.

Shredtec will be offering the payment for post use PVC-U, typically found in window and door frames, pipes and conduit. The payments are part funded by Recovinyl.

Ian Murray, managing director at Shredtec, said: “Old PVC-U is worth money and we can’t get enough of it. We are paying what we consider to be a fair price to encourage volume as we can sell everything we produce.

Shredtec’s plant in Oldham is capable of handling four tonnes of PVC every hour, the company believe that there are around 140 frames in each tonne. The company upgraded its plant following trials last year and can now take any PVC products.

Mr Murray continued: “As more first generation PVC windows are starting to come out of houses, volumes will grow, as too will pressure to dispose of them in an environmentally-friendly way.”

Recovinyl, whose membership currently includes more than 100 waste collectors and 20 accredited recycling companies, is backed by the European PVC industry. It provides incentive payments to encourage the recycling of PVC plastic.

The scheme is also encouraging building companies to stipulate PVC recycling in all public sector newbuild and refurbishment initiatives. The organisation believes that it has recycled more than 10,000 tonnes of post use PVC-U since its launch in 2005.