North east-based Dekura, which is believed to recycle more than 50% of available PVC-U waste – mainly windows and doors – in the British Isles, has opened the plants in Rhymney, South Wales and Paignton, Devon.
 PVC-U is broken down into chip granulate at Dekura's plants |
The company, whose main operation is based in Peterlee, has said the two regional facilities will allow it to take a truck of the road, saving 100,000 miles worth of emissions each year.
It is also replacing its fleets with the most recent “cleaner” vehicles, which conform to European standards on emission reductions.
Investment
Dekura has invested several million pounds in its new sites and the move followed an audit of its logistics operations. General Manager Tony Moore said: “As a national business based up in Peterlee, our distance from the rest of the UK does raise some logistical challenges. So we felt it was important, as a business working in the sustainable sector, that we do everything we can to reduce our impact on the environment.
He added: “Having analysed every aspect of the business and the journeys we make to see how best we could cut deliveries and collections to the absolute minimum, the answer was to set up two satellite operations. Each has its own processing operation to granulate material before it is sent for re-processing, so every lorry carries a full load.
“In offering our customers the very best service, we have to make sure our own house is in order. This benefits the environment, as well as making sound business sense.”
Dekura's plant in Peterlee sorts, grades, cleans and processes PVC-U – mainly production offcuts – into a number of products, including 5-6 millimetre chip granulate and compounded pellets in three colours. The 50% of available PVC-U it recycles comes from around 1,000 fabricators and adds up to around 17,500 tonnes.
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Dekura is one of 30 companies in the UK who are members of Recovinyl, an association of PVC-U recyclers from four European countries aiming to increase the supply of the material across Europe, in a way that benefits the environment.
It is backed by the British Plastics Federation and supported by the Waste and Resources Action Programme. Recovinyl is funded by Vinyl 2010, a parent organisation of the entire European PVC sector which is committed to sustainable development.
Campaign
Recovinyl will be highlighting the benefits of PVC for construction companies including social housing providers in a campaign launched by the British Plastics Federation.
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A series of seminars kicks off at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium in London on June 28.
This is followed by another four free events:
- Edinburgh, September 20
- Royal Armouries, Leeds, September 27
- Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, October 4
- Sustainable Communities 2007 Conference, London, October 25
Recovinyl will be highlighting how PVC products such as window frames can be recycled into new building products, including window components, cladding and pipes.
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