Eurocell can now recycle the offcuts of Cavalok cavity closers it receives from fabricators after investing in new machinery and skills.
The new process, which is part of Eurocell’s strategy to increase the proportion of recycled PVC-U in its products to 40% by 2030, is one of the first of its kind to be introduced for cavity closers by a systems house in the UK.
The new capability means Eurocell can now remove the expanded polystyrene (EPS) core from the Cavalok cavity closer offcut, leaving the remaining PVC-U to be recycled for the design and manufacture of its future window and door products. The EPS is then delivered to Eurocell’s partners to be recycled.
The machinery and team to undertake the process has been put in place at Eurocell’s recycling plant in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and will support all its fabricator partners who manufacture the closers and have their own sustainability and waste management targets to meet.
Eurocell’s Cavalok cavity closers are designed to enable brick courses to be completed and create an air-tight receiver for windows and doors. This allows installers to quickly close the cavity at window and door openings – instantly increasing a property’s thermal efficiency and reducing its energy bills. The closers also meet Accredited Construction Details regulations and are compliant with Part L of Building Regulations.
Sandra Gaspar, head of recycling at Eurocell, said: “We are continually reviewing all our processes across our PVC-U product range and recycling to ensure we can return as much PVC-U to the industry as possible.
“Our Cavalok cavity closers have an EPS core, so we needed this specialised process, skills and capability in place to ensure it can be separated from the PVC-U in the offcuts – so that we can then use the PVC-U in the design and manufacture of future products.
“It means all our fabricator partners who use our Cavalok cavity closers can now take advantage and support their own sustainability and waste management goals too, by working with us to ensure their offcuts are recycled.”
Eurocell facilitates efficient PVC-U recycling for installers and fabricators through its closed-loop recycling system. The service includes all aspects of waste management, from collection and transport to documentation, with waste transfer notes provided to demonstrate responsible handling
At present, Eurocell is said to operate the largest PVC-U recycling operation in the UK and it claims to have achieved 32% recycled PVC-U in extrusion in 2023, up from 27% in 2021.
