Recycling PVC and aluminium windows and doors: The path to a sustainable future

Product life cycle assessment (LCA – Life Cycle Assessment) is a key tool for evaluating the overall environmental impact of windows and doors. LCA covers every stage, from raw material extraction through manufacturing and use to recycling.

Practical data show that up to 90% of a glazed window’s weight can be recycled or reused. In some European countries, as many as 8 million windowsare removed annually, creating significant potential for organised, efficient collection and recycling.

Aluminium can be recycled an unlimited number of times without losing its physical and chemical properties. Aluminium recycling uses 17 times less energy than primary production and emits 95% less CO₂.

Key advantages:

• Recycling 1 kg of aluminium saves 4 kg of bauxite.

• Almost half the aluminium used in some European countries comes from recycled sources.

• The recycling rate in construction and transport reaches up to 95%.

• An impressive 75% of aluminium produced since the 19th century is still in use thanks to continuous recycling.

Aluminium has therefore become both an environmentally and economically sustainable choice in modern construction.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride), widely used for windows and doors, also has significant recycling potential, particularly in its rigid form.

Rigid PVCcertified to QB33can be recycled several times without significant loss of technical properties. Incorporating recycled PVC into new profiles can achieve up to 17 times lower CO₂ emissions.

However, PVC recycling has certain limitations:

• The recycling stream can accept only production offcuts i end-of-life products.

• Flexible PVC, plastic bottles, electrical conduits and similar products cannot be used to produce new window and door profiles.

PVC collection and recycling systems must therefore focus on clearly defined material streams.

Recycling PVC and aluminium windows and doors is a key step towards a circular economy – a model in which materials are continually renewed and reused instead of becoming waste.

Thanks to technological development, innovation and responsible manufacturing practices, modern windows and doors increasingly stand for environmental sustainability. Recycling protects nature and provides opportunities for smarter resource management and lasting economic benefits.