Plan to recycle and win work

New legislation forcing the building industry to better manage its construction waste offers unique opportunities for PVC-U window companies bidding for large refurbishment projects, claims Axion.

Site Waste Management Plans will be mandatory for all construction and demolition projects worth over GBP300,000.

Currently, of the 400 million tonnes of solid materials used in the UK's construction industry, around 125 million tonnes ends up as waste.

Designed to combat illegal fly tipping and to encourage recycling, the regulations require firms to make detailed plans for the waste generated and how it will be disposed of, including sourcing outlets for recyclables.

During the project, detailed records must be kept and plans regularly monitored and evaluated at the end.

Failure to comply could result in fines or even criminal conviction.

Axion Recycling , which provides a full service for companies needing SWMPs, says firms already recycling their PVC-U waste stand to benefit most when competing for work by demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, thereby gaining a competitive advantage.

Axion's Commercial Director, Roger Morton, explains: 'Window companies bidding for big contracts can make life easier for the site manager to implement their site waste management plan by offering a recycling solution for the PVC-U windows they replace by working with a Recovinyl recycler.

Consequently they stand a better chance of being chosen for the job as it helps the construction professional to their legal obligations.

'Additionally, savings will be made by recycling, rather than landfilling this waste, and Recovinyl can help firms find local PVC-U collectors and recyclers'.

As the UK's PVC-U recycling initiative, Recovinyl has been hugely successful.

Last year, more than 40,000 tonnes of PVC-U was recycled in the UK and this figure is set to rise as the cost of landfilling becomes more expensive, increasingly unavailable and environmentally unacceptable.

As well as end-of-life frames, the scheme accepts flexible flooring, pipes and roofline products.

Volumes of post-consumer PVC-U waste are predicted to rise as growing numbers of early generation, often single-glazed, PVC-U windows are being replaced with modern equivalents, particularly in large social housing contracts.

So recycling has to be the sustainable solution to their disposal.

Roger adds: 'Landfilling waste PVC-U costs between GBP40 and GBP100 per tonne, with rising landfill tax on top.

Guidance is available for companies needing site waste management plans, which should be welcomed as yet another step towards a more sustainable future, both for the industry and the environment.'.

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