‘Blue Planet’ inspires window company to go green and stock REHAU

Sheffield Window Centre has extended the REHAU TOTAL70 range to include REHAU Co-extruded profile, inspired by the recent ‘Blue Planet’ TV series.

This extension of the range enables them to offer customers an environmentally-friendly and sustainable option when choosing their next PVC-U windows.

As the company name suggests, the family-owned fabrication and installation business are based in the Steel City. It has been making high quality PVC-U windows and doors for more than four decades.

In 1991, the company started fabricating REHAU profiles, and Sheffield Window Centre now fabricates and installs the whole TOTAL70 range.

When REHAU launched its co-extruded TOTAL70 profile – containing a recycled core of up to 100% post-consumer and post-industrial waste material – Sheffield Window Centre saw a live opportunity to complete its portfolio and further the offer for more eco-conscious consumers.

Ian Hunter Jr, Managing Director at Sheffield Window Centre, talked about the aforementioned TV programme affected the company.

“There has been a real change in attitudes towards plastic in the last few years and the recent ‘Blue Planet’ TV series has kickstarted a lot of businesses into reviewing their plastic usage and finding ways to reduce. And, as a business which manufactures using PVC-U products, we needed to act too,” he said.

“So when REHAU’s co-extruded profile became available, we jumped at the chance to adopt them within our manufacturing process. We wanted to do our bit for the planet – not just because that’s the socially responsible thing to do, but also to reassure our customers that they can buy good quality, PVC-U windows that are sustainable and more environmentally friendly.”

A vast majority of Sheffield Window Centre’s installations replace first generation PVC-U windows. The old windows are now collected by REHAU and taken to its specialist recycling centre, called PVCR, in Manchester, to be recycled into material which can then be re-used at REHAU’s extrusion plant in North Wales.

This is to produce the co-extruded TOTAL70 profile, in turn providing a closed loop of material use.

PVC-U can usually be recycled up to 10 times, but the improved processes introduced at PVCR, REHAU’s co-extruded profile could possibly be recycled many more times than this.

The performance of the co-extruded TOTAL70 profile achieves the high requirements of REHAU’s TOTAL70 range and are fully certified under BSI Kitemark License KM 13358, so Sheffield Window Centre can offer eco-conscious customers a sustainable, recycled product without any decrease in product performance.

An extra benefit is that there is no increase in overall cost of product compared with the rest of the range, meaning there is no fabrication and supply financial uplift for thinking green.

Sheffield Window Centre has already moved all  customers over to the co-extruded range, as Ian Hunter Jr explained: “Visually, the co-extruded profiles look identical to the rest of the TOTAL70 range with no change in performance or price.

“So we are delighted that the co-extruded profile is driving our sales, and we know that we are offering the most environmentally friendly PVC-U windows on the market.”

Rick Cole, Area Sales Manager for REHAU, commented: “The TOTAL70 Co-extruded range has hit the market at a time when people are generally more aware of the environmental issues facing the planet and what needs to be done to reverse the damage.

“Sheffield Window Centre were keen right from the off to take our recycled product, and they have a genuine enthusiasm to sell it to customers – so I believe it’s going to do big things for them and the environment.”

Contact:

REHAU
Hill Court,
Walford,
Ross on Wye,
Herefordshire,
HR9 5QN

Email address: [email protected]
Tel: 01989 72600

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