13 October 2006 - Merritt Plastics is making a bid for a significant slice of the PVC recycling market.
Based in Derbyshire, the company has invested heavily in its capacity for recycling PVC-U window frames.
The company has been recycling off-cuts from the PVC-U window frame manufacturers for the past nine years, but now it is looking to grab a proportion of the estimated 12,000 tonnes of PVC that will be recycled next year.
The £400,000 investment, which has included shredder and separation plants, has boosted its window recycling capacity to 3000 tonnes.
Merritt started recycling PVC-U windows about six months ago, re-processing frames into new plastic building products, such as cavity closers, at its 60,000 sq ft facility in Ilkeston. The company is now in the process of attracting material suppliers.
Simon Readman, Merritt md, said: “As waste PVC is a very recyclable and valuable material that can be re-used in new products, we can use everything we get. We welcome all enquiries as we are geared up to handle the increasing quantities of post-consumer PVC frames that are being removed as ‘first generation’ replacements are replaced.”
Where frames are removed as part of large refurbishment projects, Merritt is prepared to collect these from a 70 mile radius or further if already dismantled.
Merritt also offers payment to window companies because it earns incentive payments from the PVC industry recycling Recovinyl Scheme, of which it is a member.
Roger Morton of Axion Recycling, Recovinyl’s project managers and technical advisors, said: “Maintaining this momentum is our main challenge as we have the facilities in place to recycle waste PVC, plus incentives to help fabricators and recyclers.
“By substantially reducing the landfilling of this valuable and recyclable material, the PVC industry can demonstrate the considerable economic and environmental benefits.”
