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Recycled uPVC Windows
Recycled uPVC Windows
The Green Guide to uPVC
Recycled uPVC Windows: The Sustainable, High-Performance Choice for Your Hampshire Home ♻️
For decades, uPVC has been the go-to choice for homeowners in Andover and across Hampshire seeking low-maintenance, thermally efficient windows. However, in an era focused on sustainability, a common question arises: Are uPVC windows truly environmentally friendly?
The answer is yes—thanks to a revolutionary process that allows old uPVC to be recycled up to ten times without any loss of quality.
At KJM Group, we believe in minimizing our environmental impact, which is why we champion the use of our products from Epwin, a true example of closed-loop recycling in action.
#FACT 1: uPVC is the 400-Year Window Material
Many people confuse uPVC with single-use plastics. But as a high-value building material, its lifespan and recyclability set it apart:
- Long Service Life: The Building Research Establishment (BRE) gives uPVC window frames a reference service life of 35-40 years.
- Endless Recycling: uPVC can be recycled over 10 times without impacting its structural integrity or performance.
- The 400-Year Potential: Taken together, this means the raw material in a single uPVC window can offer a potential total lifespan of up to 400 years, giving it incredible material sustainability.
This longevity is why uPVC became the first material of its type to be independently awarded an A+ material sustainability rating by the BRE.
FACT 2: The Truth About Window Waste Disposal in Hampshire
When you replace your old double glazing, where do the old frames and glass go? It is essential to choose an installer who has a clear recycling commitment.
Unfortunately, many glazing companies still dispose of waste in landfill. For non-biodegradable plastics, this is an extremely poor environmental option. Worse still, some unscrupulous traders even resort to fly-tipping, which causes problems for local councils and can even trace back to you.
As a reputable Hampshire installer, we are committed to minimizing waste. We actively recycle all components: the aluminium, steel reinforcements, glass, and, crucially, the old PVC frames. We intercept end-of-life windows before they hit landfill, ensuring they enter the recycling stream.
FACT 3: Closed-Loop Recycling Powers our Profile 22 windows
The advantage of uPVC is that it is typically not contaminated with paints or stains, unlike timber. This makes it ideal for closed-loop recycling—a clean process that brings the end-of-life material back into use in new, high-quality products.
The market leader in this area is the Epwin, which we proudly install.
- Encapsulated Material: Windows manufactured from Epwin profiles contain recycled content.
- Guaranteed Finish: The recycled PVC is fully encapsulated within a layer of virgin raw material, ensuring a perfect, pristine surface finish with the same superior guarantees and performance as a 100% virgin frame.
This system is the perfect choice for homeowners who demand top-tier performance alongside an environmental conscience.
FACT 4: The Fastest Payback in Energy Savings
Replacing old windows is one of the quickest ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint and cut heating bills.
- Emissions Reduction: The average UK home generates five tonnes of carbon annually, with 85% linked to heating. Energy-efficient windows can drastically lower this figure.
- Energy Savings: The Energy Saving Trust suggests that switching from old single glazing to new A++ energy-efficient uPVC triple glazing could save the owner of an average detached house as much as £813 per year on energy bills.
- Fastest ROI: uPVC windows offer the fastest potential payback on heating bill savings of any frame material (including timber and aluminium), thanks to highly efficient, multi-chambered profiles that create powerful thermal barriers.
FACT 5: Style Is No Longer a Compromise
The outdated criticism that uPVC windows are “unsympathetic” is long dead. Today’s recycled uPVC systems come in a vast range of colours, authentic woodgrain finishes, and styles:
- Traditional Aesthetics: Products like the Residence 9 and Residence 7 systems are specifically designed to replicate traditional 19th-century timber joinery with modern
- uPVC materials, offering a maintenance-free solution perfect for heritage properties around Winchester or Salisbury.
Contact us
To learn more about how you can install sustainable, high-performance recycled uPVC windows in your home, please contact us at our Andover office today.
FAQs: Recycled uPVC Windows
Recycled uPVC refers to Polyvinyl Chloride that has been un-plasticised and recovered from old window frames, door panels, or production off-cuts. This waste material is processed, cleaned, and remelted to create the core of new window profiles. This process is often called closed-loop recycling because the old product is turned back into the same new product, minimizing waste.
No, it doesn’t. Leading systems ensure that the recycled uPVC forms the inner core of the profile, while a thin layer of virgin (new) uPVC is extruded onto the exterior. This process guarantees that the window’s structural integrity, thermal efficiency, security, and surface finish are identical to those made from 100% virgin material
According to the Building Research Establishment (BRE), uPVC can be recycled over 10 times without any impact on its structural performance. When you consider that a window frame has a service life of 35–40 years, this gives the original material a potential useful life of up to 400 years.
uPVC is highly sustainable due to its longevity and closed-loop recyclability. While other materials have environmental benefits, uPVC frames are often cited as having the fastest financial payback on heating bills due to their superior thermal performance (low U-values) compared to standard aluminium or timber, which directly leads to lower domestic carbon emissions.
We are committed to minimizing landfill waste. When we remove your old windows, we separate and recycle all components: the glass, the internal steel or aluminium reinforcements, and the uPVC frames themselves. The old uPVC is directed to specialist recycling facilities (like those certified by Recovinyl) to re-enter the manufacturing stream.
Mark Pearce is a highly experienced specialist in the double glazing industry, having built his knowledge from the ground up through hands-on experience in installation, manufacturing, sales, and business management. Beyond his role at KJM, Mark is a keen blogger, writer, and traveller, often sharing insights on the latest innovations in the home improvement industry.
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