Newsletter from PRW by David Eldridge on June 2nd, 2008.
Green Guide acknowledges their essential role in sustainable construction.
The green credentials of PVC-U windows in the UK have been boosted by the announcement of environmental ratings by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
The BRE’s 2008 Green Guide to Specification includes the following ratings for PVC-U windows: A+ for commercial buildings and A for domestic buildings.
The rating system runs from A+ to E and covers all planned building elemental categories of external walls, internal walls, upper floors, ground floors, roofs, landscaping, windows and thermal insulation.
The British Plastics Federation’s industrial issues executive for construction, Tim Marsden, said: “We are delighted with the ratings.”
He added: “This is a huge step forward for the industry.”
The BPF’s sector groups for vinyls and windows have been very active in providing information to the BRE during its consultation phase.
The BPF said: “It is thanks to the continued and combined efforts of the groups, that we are now seeing the benefits of PVC products in the public arena.
“PVC-U windows have an essential role to play in sustainable construction, which the Green Guide has now acknowledged.”
The consultation on PVC-U windows has been a lengthy process involving nearly two years’ work, during which the BPF worked as an intermediary between its members and the BRE. A large amount of time was spent on the methodology used by the BRE to decide on the green ratings.
Speaking to PRW.com, Marsden said the progress in PVC recycling in recent years was a key factor in the BRE assigning high ratings for windows. The UK recycled more than 42,000 tonnes of post-consumer PVC in 2007, according to Recovinyl, the recycling body which is funded by the Vinyl 2010 initiative to increase PVC’s environmental performance.
The BPF is now planning seminars to brief specifiers about the use of PVC-U windows in sustainable construction projects. The BRE’s Green Guide will be publicly available online on 6 June.
