PVC Awareness

Indeed, a particularly interesting article by Naomi Cleaver was printed recently on this page. Her initial sentiment was memorable: "Putting uPVC windows in a period property is like making your grandmother wear a shell suit." Now, I can't be certain, but I imagine that the Golden Girls would have something to say about that. However, what followed was of little surprise.

Like so many before her, Naomi has apparently been seduced by the fashionable views of extreme environmentalists and has neglected to listen to both sides of the story. Instead of an informed decision, we have one based on hearsay. Naomi and other critics focus on two main areas: the manufacture of PVC and the disposal of old windows.

As with Chinese whispers, over time a handful of misconceptions about the manufacture of PVC have been twisted and turned into what many now perceive as fact. One such "fact" is that is takes eight tons of oil to make one ton of PVC. This simply is not true. By far the greatest proportion of these eight tons go to make diesel oil, heating oil and petrol. Less than half a ton of PVC, with the balance provided by common salt. This is a fact of chemistry and no amount of wishful thinking or imaginative statistical analysis can change that.

Another misconception is the level and type of pollutants produced during the manufacture of PVC. The industry is very well regulated in terms of emissions control, both on a national and European level. In fact, studies have shown that it would take a large PVC production facility many hundreds of years to emit the same amount of dioxins (one of the more commonly mentioned pollutants) emitted each year on Bonfire Night.

It is often alleged that uPVC windows are non-recyclable. However, from a technical point of view, it is actually quite easy to recycle them. The European PVC industry signed a voluntary commitment to increase the levels of recycling of post-consumer PVC products in 2000. This contains a target for windows: rather than just recycle them into short-life products, such as traffic cones, the industry is focusing on using "closed-loop" recycling. This will allow PVC material from old windows to be used for the manufacture of similar long-life buildings products. It is a very sustainable solution and the more time we spend on research and development now, the greater the dividends we will reap in the future.

The industry is showing considerable form in negotiating a number of hurdles, which have historically been in the way of all recycling, including paper and tin cans. Cost, as ever, is the key. The youth of the industry - 25 years in the UK - means that only a relatively small proportion of old uPVC windows are available in the waste stream, a factor which time itself will resolve. Nevertheless, they are currently being recycled, along with over 80 per cent of the factory scrap.

Many who criticise the windows do so for their aesthetic qualities and consider them cheap and cheerful or even tacky. This, of course, is a matter of personal taste, and everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. However, have the critics actually looked at a current uPVC window before putting pen to paper, or are they just recalling a hazy memory form the mid-1980s?

Take a look at the images accompanying this article: these are samples of PVC windows and demonstrate the continuous efforts of the PVC industry to make a windows that is not only durable but aesthetically pleasing as well.

I'm sure most people would agree that the earliest uPVC windows were not as satisfactory as they could have been. However, the industry has developed considerably since then and the design and versatility of windows are now a priority. For example, it is now common for householders and developers to fit vertically sliding uPVC (sash) windows which, from a short distance, are indistinguishable from their timber equivalents.

You can have the period look of classic, timber, sash windows, with all the added benefits of low-maintenance uPVC. Unless your property has listed status, there is no reason why, with just a little shopping around, you should be able to find a type that is perfectly compatible with your property.

If nothing else, the fact that uPVC windows are used on 80 per cent on new-build projects, and account for over 90 per cent of the replacement market, should speak volumes about the views of consumers.