23-25 Dyffryn Business Park, Ystrad Mynach, CF82 7RJ. Tel...01443816667  Mobile...07869133053

Turning old windows into new

All the metals associated with the UPVC windows and door frames are also separated and recycled.

UPVC and the Environment

Wyetech Recycling exists today because of Tracy Williams’ concern and passion for the environment. As UPVC windows and doors began to replace wood as the preferred option for domestic and commercial premises it became obvious that the excellent stability and resistance of UPVC to weathering was going to create significant problems for the environment when items made from the plastic reached the end of their useful life.

UPVC takes scores, if not hundreds, of years to rot down and degrade when put into land-fill and industry now churns out UPVC building products in large volumes. The obvious solution is to re-use the material, rather than bury it in the ground and pretend that the disposal problem has been solved.

Although UPVC will eventually break down in the soil, when doing so it releases potentially harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses. Along with many other land-fill materials it has a detrimental effect on nature and the ecology and contributes significantly to our carbon footprint.

UPVC is being used more and more as a construction material. It is by far the most widely used material for window and door frames, but it is now also extensively used for skirting boards, window sills, guttering, cladding, greenhouses, sheds, and other items.

UPVC can be coloured and textured to simulate wood and other materials and this versatility coupled with its stability to UV light, good weathering properties, ease of forming, and relatively low cost, makes it a material of choice for architects, builders, and DIY enthusiasts.

UPVC is often used in conjunction with metals and glass and so it is important both economically and environmentally to separate and recover these materials. Glass panes must be removed before we can begin to recycle the frames.

The glass can be re-used or recycled as glass scrap. The metals, which are often integrated into the UPVC extrusions, can be left in place, as we have the facilities to separate and recover them.

We will continue to expand and improve our UPVC recycling capabilities and work to the guidelines of the European Vinyl 2010 charter for protecting the environment.