UK’s largest PVC-U window frame recycling plant opens

Eurocell has invested £3m in the facility, which has capacity to process up to 12,000 window frames per week. The investment claims to make Ilkeston-based Merritt Plastics, part of Eurocell, the largest and most advanced post-consumer PVC-U recycling plant in the UK.

The technology employed at the facility means that Eurocell can manufacture new products from the recycled material on-site and provide customers with a closed loop solution. These products will include cavity closers and PVC-U thermal inserts, both of which help improve the thermal performance of buildings.

Currently, it is estimated that up to 230m windows need upgrading in the UK, 85% of which have PVC-U frames and fail contemporary energy efficiency standards. The investment in the new plant is part of Eurocell’s long-term strategy of helping specifiers meet modern building performance and sustainability requirements.

Marking the official opening of the plant, Eurocell’s CEO Patrick Bateman said that it “marks the beginning of a new era for our group in terms of sustainable manufacturing”.

He added: “Our new recycling facility provides specifiers with a solution for dealing with the PVC-U windows currently fitted in some of the UK’s 25 million existing homes. That’s important as many of these properties will need to be refurbished over the next few years if the Government is to meet its carbon reduction targets.”

Maxine Perella