Eurocell opens new state-of-the-art PVC-U recycling plant

Eurocell has opened a new state-of-the-art PVC-U recycling plant in Derbyshire. Part of the Tessenderlo Group, Eurocell has invested £3m in the plant, which provides the capacity to process up to 12,000 end-of-life frames per week. 

Councillor George Wharmby, chairman of Derbyshire County Council, opened the new facility on 30th November, along with Albert Vasseur, director, plastics converting at Tessenderlo Group and vice-president EPPA (European PVC Profiles Building Products Association).

Based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, the Merritt Plastics (part of Eurocell) post-consumer PVC-U recycling plant becomes the largest and most advanced of its kind in the UK. It will provide Eurocell customers with an effective route for dealing with end-of-life PVC-U frames, which avoids sending them to landfill.

Having the capacity to process over 500,000 end-of-life frames per year will allow Eurocell to counteract some of the volatility in market commodities and provide fabricators with a clear sustainable proposition to offer their customers.

“Whichever way you look at it, there are strong commercial and environmental reasons for fabricators and installers to take advantage of our new recycling capabilities,” says Chris Coxon, marketing manager at Eurocell, speaking at the official opening event. “Products made using post-consumer recycled PVC-U offer identical aesthetics and performance, yet give customers distinct advantages by being recognised as environmentally-responsible suppliers.

“We welcome quantities of end-of-life PVC-U frames and encourage fabricators, installers and builders to contact us to find out how we can help them make their business more sustainable – essential on many of the larger, more progressive contracts.”

Using the latest technology means the Eurocell group is  providing fabricators and installers with a completely closed-loop recycling process. At Eurocell this includes using recycled material to make products such as cavity closers and PVC-U thermal inserts, both of which help improve the energy performance of buildings. (see page 31)

“The official opening marks the beginning of a new era for our group in terms of sustainable manufacturing and offering an unbeatable ‘green’ solution,” says Patrick Bateman, Eurocell chief executive officer. “As a company we are advanced in using the recycled material to manufacture innovative new products that help our customers meet ever more stringent building performance requirements.“The fact that our recycling plant is here in Derbyshire and we manufacture new products in the same county is yet another example of Eurocell and Tessenderlo Group’s commitment to helping our customers create sustainable, low carbon solutions.”