In a step change for the fenestration industry, VEKA Recycling, a pioneer in PVCu recycling since 1993, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with global sustainable construction leader, Saint-Gobain. This will bring VEKA Recycling closer to realising its mission of creating a closed-loop recycling system within the UK.
Due to the lack of infrastructure for effective collection and recycling, a huge amount of post-consumer glass cullet is currently lost to landfill. By developing cutting-edge solutions and combining their expertise, the two companies are setting a new benchmark for post-consumer recycling and resource recovery.
The collaboration allows Wellingborough-based VEKA Recycling to take fully glazed frames, eliminating the need to deglaze on-site and offering a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution for glass waste disposal. With regular, reliable collection schedules within 100 miles of VEKA Recycling.
Central to this is the deployment of Saint-Gobain’s patented ICG Recycling Machine, which efficiently separates annealed and toughened glass from spacer bars. The glass can then be processed and reintroduced directly into float glass production, offering a higher recovery rate and improving the sustainability of the supply chain.
This innovative process enhances resource recovery rates while reducing the need for raw material extraction, lowering energy consumption by 30% and cutting CO2 emissions across the supply chain.
Tim Taylor, Commercial Director at VEKA plc, said: “This marks a monumental step on our journey towards creating a circular economy within the UK. For the fenestration industry, ensuring that materials can be collected, recycled and then manufactured into new products without needing to leave the country is instrumental in meeting sustainability goals.
“By combining our infrastructure with Saint-Gobain’s innovative glass recycling technology, we are confident that we can overcome current challenges to significantly increase the rate of post-consumer glass recovery in the UK.”
Michael Butterick, Marketing Director at Saint-Gobain Glass, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with VEKA Recycling to offer a solution for post-consumer glass recycling. The potential of this initiative is vast—by addressing the current gap in infrastructure and leveraging key partnerships, we can achieve our sustainability goals.”
Post-consumer glass recycling is central to Saint-Gobain’s journey to Net Zero CO2 emissions by 2050. While VEKA Recycling is pushing to create a closed-loop system and circular domestic supply chain for the UK fenestration industry.
To support VEKA’s mission to ensure that sustainability is at the core of the industry, VEKA’s Recycling’s facility in Wellingborough has had a £15m investment, enhancing its capacity and efficiency. In 2024, VEKA Recycling and VEKA plc were brought under one Board, aligning the two businesses under this shared goal.
Tim Taylor added: “This significant partnership marks another crucial step toward building a greener future—reducing the use of raw materials, lowering energy consumption, and significantly cutting CO2 emissions across the supply chain.”
