Wrekin delivers UK’s first ‘closed loop’ recycling project

Social housing specialist Wrekin Windows has completed the UK’s first ‘closed loop’ window replacement program, bringing tonnes of old post-consumer PVC-U frames back into use. Wrekin was appointed to deliver a high-rise PVC-U window replacement project at Liverton Court, Manchester by Manchester Working and Northwards Housing as part of a long term partnership earlier this year.

This included the replacement of almost 600 PVC-U windows and curtain walling with low maintenance and advanced performance energy efficient windows. As part of the contract the window specialist had to meet the specific requirement to reprocess and recycle all recoverable ‘waste’ material from the refurbishment program.

Uniquely placed to deliver the works through its sister PVC-U recycling operation Dekura, Wrekin was able to offer a fully transparent recycling service.  Importantly, it was able to bring this old reprocessed material back into use through the company’s use of the unique thermally efficient recycled composite material (RCM) reinforcement.

John Williams, sales and marketing manager, Wrekin Windows, said: “Transparency was exceptionally important on this project. There was significant involvement from residents in project delivery from start to finish. What became clear was that it was important to them that old material was handled responsibility. Using Dekura we were able to recover waste material, show residents exactly what we were doing with it at each stage of the recycling process and to bring that material back into use in a new generation of products.”

To this end members of the Liverton Court residents’ committee and Northwards Housing visited Dekura’s recycling plant and Wrekin’s production facilities to see exactly how old material was re-processed and re-used. The specialist window and door supplier also worked closely with residents, the social housing provider and contractors to deliver the project on time and with minimal disruption.

As a high rise project this presented its own unique set of challenges including weather performance, health and safety issues associated with working at height and resident safety and access. Wrekin overcame the latter by building a covered walkway to and from the flats during construction to protect residents from overhead work. It also worked closely with residents groups to make sure that the project had minimal impact on parking.

John said: “It’s an eight-storey building and that raises a host of challenges. It requires a specialist management team who have the structural understanding and experience to ensure that the product performs at height and in the extreme weather that it’s likely to encounter. You also need the right team on site who can work safely at height, who deliver on time so that delivery isn’t delayed and who put residents first.”

And it appears Wrekin’s hard work has paid off. Richard Hargreaves, Northwards Housing added: “Wrekin has been excellent in the design and fitting of the windows for Liverton Court. We have received very positive feedback from the residents who are now enjoying the benefits of the improved window design. I have also been very impressed with the company’s re-cycling policy.”

Tel: 01952 205000

www.wrekin-windows.co.uk