VEKA is leading the way in the future of recycled PVCu

This month, VEKA plc has unveiled plans to grow usage of recycled material beyond its existing Infinity system.

VEKA has been the industry leader in recycling and sustainability throughout its history with the first VEKA recycling plant opening in Germany in 1993. In 2007, VEKA Recycling opened its doors, the UK’s first windows recycling plant. Last year, the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability has seen VEKA Recycling invest £150k in six new silos to increase the storage capacity at its state-of-the-art Wellingborough recycling plant, the most advanced of its kind in Europe.

VEKA plc led the way in recycling PVCu launching its Infinity profile in 2010 - a dedicated system with an environmental conscience that contains up to 80% recycled material.

The coming months will see VEKA start to roll out recycled material across a number of its mainline profiles starting with cills and following with frame extensions with potential to expand further throughout the course of the year. VEKA has committed to a strong focus in driving further usage of recycled PVCu in the coming years.

Recycling has become a crucial part of VEKA’s strategy and over the last five years more than 24,000 tonnes of PVCu has been diverted from landfill.

Dawn Stockell, marketing director of VEKA plc commented: “Recycling and sustainability are a core focus as part of our overall CSR commitment and a key objective for both VEKA plc and the broader group. Our investment into future proofing our products has seen us increase our co-extrusion capability, replacing aging tools with co-extrusion tools allowing for greater use of recycled PVCu .

"Committed to driving increased usage of recycled compound, our partnership with growing sister company, VEKA Recycling, will ensure that together we continue to make best-in-class PVCu window systems that care about the environment and can continue to be recycled for years to come.”

Simon Scholes, managing director of VEKA Recycling added: “We’ve invested £15 million into the plant at Wellingborough – ensuring we can continue to lead the way in recycled PVCu. Our products are as close to virgin polymer as is possible.

"To get recycled PVCu of this quality takes some work and ultimately does not result in a more cost-effective material – in fact using recycled PVCu is cost neutral but carries an important ethical message. In the past, recycled products have often been seen as second best, however with today’s PVCu, along with our technology and skills, we can ensure that the recycled product is a better product – one that is suited to being reused time and time again. 

"We can now put in a frame that will last another 40 years with just one window or door frame offering up to 350 years of usage. In fact, the recycled products that are going in now will only need to be recycled by my successor’s successor. Now that is a sustainable legacy to be proud of.”