Second extrusion line

Veka Compounds, a division of Veka Recycling and part of the Veka UK Group, has installed a second extrusion line at its Wellingborough-based plant, the latest phase in an ongoing £15 million programme at what the company says has become the most advanced PVCU recycling facility in Europe since its completion in January this year.

The latest investment, which totals more than £500,000, means the company now benefits from a brace of Krauss Maffei compounding lines: technologically advanced machines that are designed to maximise throughput of material while keeping energy costs to a minimum.

They are able to convert large volumes of reclaimed material, including that sourced from used window and door frames that would have otherwise ended up in landfill, into high quality recycled PVCU pellets. These pellets are then be used to fabricate a wide range of new PVCU products, from windows and doors, to sills, decking, drainpipes and ducting, as well as underground pipes and tubing.

Simon Scholes, managing director of Veka Recycling, said: “The plastics industry has become better at recognising the positive attributes of recycled PVCU in recent years. However, there are still misconceptions that the material is inferior, that it is somehow not as robust and adaptable as non-recycled material, especially when used to fabricate products for the construction industry.

“In fact, the pellets produced by Veka Compounds are at least are comparable to virgin PVCU.

“This represents significant advantages for manufacturers using our pellets. Not only are they fulfilling their environmental responsibilities by helping to reduce waste material sent to landfill and minimise their CO₂ emissions, it also allows them to demonstrate these enhanced environmental credentials to consumers that are considering the sustainability of the products they purchase, more than ever before.

“Furthermore, the ready availability and stable price of pellet produced from recycled material is also attractive in the face of the global supply issues recently affecting virgin PVCU compound.”