PVC windows as an example of sustainability
When it comes to sustainability, especially the circular economy of plastic products, PVC windows are often used as an example. On the one hand, this results from the fact that more than twenty years ago the industry created a cycle through which old plastic windows can be removed, collected, separated according to materials such as PVC, glass and metal, and the recycled PVC (rPVC) obtained can be used again in new PVC windows. This closes the circle. On the other hand, plastic windows are durable building products with a service life of 30 to 40 years. In contrast to plastic windows, the conditions for other product families to proceed in this or a similar way are far less favourable due to their diversity. The fact that only one third of plastic waste is recycled is not only due to the complexity, but also to the lack of quality standards - this is a frequently expressed opinion.
With the present standardisation mandate from the Commission to CEN and CENELEC - a result of the Circular Plastics Alliance - the foundation is now to be laid for defining quality requirements for plastic waste, recyclates and product families. This should help to significantly increase recycling rates in order to reach the target of 10 million tonnes of recycled material. The mandate prompts the creation of 10 new sets of standards with a focus on design-for-recycling, as well as the updating of 11 existing standards with the recycling idea in mind.
