Ahead of national Recycling Week, REHAU is calling for homeowners to be mindful of where the materials which make up their home are sourced from and how they may be recycled when the time comes to replace them. With demand for house renovations and construction at an all-time high, and the climate crisis continuing to show its effects on the planet, both on a national and global scale, sourcing sustainable materials that have a minimal long-term impact on the environment has never been more important.  

To help fight the crisis, REHAU has invested over £60 million in recycling infrastructure across the REHAU Group, with a new £10 million state-of-the-art window recycling facility located in the North of England.  

Since 2014, PVCR, the largest UPVC recycler in the North West, has been part of the REHAU Group and has enabled key industry stakeholders, including window installers, fabricators, waste disposal companies and local authorities, to manage their PVC waste by selling it to PVCR as an environmentally friendly and socially responsible alternative to landfill.  

Stephen Beresford, Head of Marketing and Communications at REHAU, shares his advice for homeowners looking to be more sustainable by sharing her top three things around the home that can be easily repurposed but are often not recycled when being replaced. 

Windows and doors

“When replacing old windows and doors made from PVC, always ask your installer if they will be recycled. This process allows the materials to be re-used for other windows, further increasing their longevity. At REHAU, we have committed to PVC recycling with our PVCR programme. By recycling old PVC windows and doors, window waste is managed effectively, and waste costs are minimised, offering a unique and innovative recycling process that is both an environmentally friendly and socially responsible alternative to landfill.

“For homeowners looking to future-proof their property, uPVC windows can last up to 40 years, making them a popular sustainable option. On top of this, each individual uPVC window can be recycled up to 10 times without losing performance, giving it a total usable life of up to 400 years.

Kitchen cabinets
“Kitchen cabinets are some of the strongest fixtures in the home that are often replaced due to aesthetic reasons rather than them losing their functionality. One of the simplest ways to stop your kitchen ending up in landfill is to repaint your cabinets. Sanding and repainting your kitchen are simple and cost-effective ways to breathe new life into a tired kitchen that will save you both time and money, while saving the planet too! 

“For homeowners who do choose to replace their kitchen, then choosing a recyclable option should be their first point of action. It is worth reaching out to the local community such as charities or schools, who may repurpose the material for activities or events. For the more creative homeowner, the material from the cabinets may be repurposed and used in the new kitchen space as shelves for additional storage, picture frames or a serving tray.  

Carpet
“For homeowners who are looking to redecorate their interior and want to replace a tired, shabby looking carpet, the first point of call is often a skip or landfill site. With sustainability at the forefront of many businesses, it may be worth contacting the company you originally purchased the carpet from to see if they have a re-use scheme. For homeowners with pets, the material from your old carpet can be a great option to use as bedding or to line an outdoor pond.”

Since 2014, PVCR, the largest PVC recycler in the North West, has been part of the REHAU Group and has enabled key industry stakeholders, including window installers, fabricators, waste disposal companies and local authorities, to manage their PVC waste by selling it to PVCR as an environmentally friendly and socially responsible alternative to landfill.  

For more information about PVCR, visit: www.pvcr.co.uk 

(1) Figures obtained from Eurocell Recycle, 2021.