UK set for record-breaking year of PVC recycling

The UK is set to recycle a “record-breaking” 50,000 tonnes of recovered PVC this year, according to Recovinyl, the industry body promoting the practice.

The organisation has predicted the UK will beat the 42,162 tonnes it recycled in 2007 by the end of 2008, reflecting the increasing awareness of the need to recycle the waste rigid plastic – which is used widely in construction – and the growth of the PVC recycling infrastructure in this country.

Recovinyl is sponsored by the European PVC recycling industry, Vinyl 2010, and offers financial incentives to companies to encourage the recycling of PVC. The scheme, which was launched in the UK in 2005, intends to boost the recycling rate for both rigid and flexible PVC plastic, such as pipes, guttering, window and door frames, panelling and cladding, in a bid to recycle 200,000 tonnes of the plastic across Europe by 2010.

UK Agent

The British Plastics Federation (BPF), which oversaw the implementation of the scheme into the UK, praised the efforts of the initiative.

Tim Marsden, industrial issues executive for construction at the BPF, said: “We are over the moon that 50,000 tonnes is going to be achieved, after a virtual standing start when it first started.

“All the PVC is being recycled into longer life products, such as windows and doors, wiring and cables. Not only is it being recycled it is being reused as well which is also closing the loop,” he added.

Achievement

Axion Recycling, Recovinyl's UK agent, called the forecast a “fantastic achievement” and claimed the increase was due to growth in volumes of post-consumer windows being recycled and increased investment in plants and equipment by the 30 UK recycling firms signed up to the Recovinyl initiative, such as Veka Recycling, Shredtec, Merritt Recycling and Axion.

The Manchester-based recycling firm calculated that of the 42,162 tonnes collected last year, the majority would be used in applications that directly substitute virgin polymer, for example cladding and cavity closers, making a saving in the region of 71,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Roger Morton, commercial director of Axion, said: “As well as diverting PVC from landfill, recycling preserves natural resources with associated savings in energy and provides a significant reduction in carbon emissions compared to using virgin polymer.”

“Judging from the level of enquiries we have received from businesses wanting to recycle their waste PVC, we expect recycling rates to break records again by the end of the year,” he added.
Other members have praised the scheme, with Kent-based Veka Recycling affirming that the initiative has been helped by industry-wide campaigns such as PVCaware.org and Fighting Back Facts.

Simon Scholes, national sales manager at Veka Recycling, said: “[Recovinyl] is there pushing a message and making recyclers recycle plastic and we want people to be able to do that. Essentially it helps raise awareness and encourages people to recycle PVC.”

Quality Protocol