Glazing Recycling

Glazing Waste is a predictable waste stream comprising of glass, wood, UPVC, metal. There is in addition a small amount of other materials such as packaging cardboard, polythene wrapping and silicon tubes.

More than 85% of this waste stream can be diverted from landfill: Glass can be recycled, wood chipped for energy, uPVC recycled to make new windows and metal reworked.

Separating these materials can be achieved either at source or at the station where it is taken. Red Kite Recycling has established a network of Waste companies who can separate these materials sending them to their respective recycling partners downstream.

Traditionally uPVC has been regarded as a difficult material to recycle. There are now companies across the country who can do this completing the loop on recycling glazing waste.

uPVC windows and doors have handles, hinges and locks as well as steel strengthening bars within them which means they can't simply be returned to the manufacturer to be reused .

The window or door needs to be destructed, separating the metal components from the plastic. The typical window is made up of glass, uPVC plastic, steel and aluminium. After separating the elements each can be refined and returned to the manufacturing process.