Eurocell has proven that there is a lot of life in old PVC-U frames, after helping its fabricator Nationwide Windows secure a £13 million contract with Nottingham City Homes.
The contract involves supplying ‘A’ rated windows to 13,700 properties, using the advanced Logik PVC-U profile system from Eurocell.
Exceeding client’s brief
Eurocell helped Nationwide Windows exceeded the initial brief from Nottingham City Homes by helping it develop a cost effective ‘A’ rated window - giving residents all the benefits of the highest Window Energy Rating possible.
Nottingham City Homes is an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) and is committed to ensuring that the 29,000 council homes within its portfolio offer decent places to live.
Closed-loop post consumer recycling
The windows are fabricated using Eurocell PVC-U Thermal Inserts made from end-of-life PVC-U frames removed from the properties where the new windows are being fitted.
The frames are separated from the glass on site before being returned to Eurocell’s dedicated recycling plant in nearby Derbyshire. This material is then reground to make PVC-U Thermal Inserts, which are subsequently used in the Logik profiles during fabrication to achieve the ‘A’ rating.
PVC-U Thermal Inserts enable lower U-values and higher Energy Index Ratings to be achieved. Plus, they can remove the need for more expensive low iron glass, making the highest energy rated windows more cost effective and therefore more accessible on more construction projects.
The glass from the old windows is sent to a specialist recycling facility, which means that over 90 per cent of the waste material on-site is recycled – an amazing achievement considering the scale of the project.
Eurocell has invested £3m in enlarging its UK-based post-consumer PVC-U recycling operation to deal with first-generation windows fitted in properties now being refurbished. The investment has created the largest and most advanced facility of its kind in the UK with the capacity to process up to 12,000 end-of-life PVC-U window frames per week.
This post-consumer recycled material is used by Eurocell to produce window profiles, PVC-U Thermal Inserts, cavity closers and decking products.
Eurocell can now recycle around 20,000 tonnes of PVC-U each year. The company is unusual in that recycling is carried out in the UK - ‘Made and recycled in Derbyshire’.
Cutting carbon and saving money for residents
Nottingham City Homes estimates that fitting the new Logik windows and doors will reduce current carbon emissions across the city of Nottingham by around three million kilograms each year. This will help residents save on average of £80 - £100 per household on their annual fuel bills in the process.
A-rated For Housing Refurbishment
Loading...
16 view(s)