When PVC-U started out in the 1980s
salespeople had to raise awareness and
make the case for the material and its
benefits. The message, repeated and
reinforced, stuck and most windows today
are made from PVC-U. Once the butt of the
PVC-U industry's jokes, timber is fighting
back, investing £18 million over the last
six years to get its message across.
Now many in consumer media, some
specifiers and many homeowners see
timber as intrinsically good, and PVC-U
as suspect. I believe a combination of spin
and misinformation (from the timber industry
and some environmental organisations)
has fuelled their prejudices.

But what do specifiers think?
We asked some for their views on
materials used for windows and doors,
and their sustainability:

Chesterfield Borough Council has just finished replacing all the windows in its
buildings in Chesterfield. All replacement windows are PVC-U except those for listed
buildings, where timber was used. Mick Heath, Manufacturing and Major Works
Manager, says the Council has always had a policy to specify PVC-U:
"The consumer media does have an influence on choice of material and is negative
about PVC-U, but residents and homeowners prefer it, and fabricators do a good job
of fighting its case. PVC-U windows last around 30 years, and we recycle all those
we remove."

But Kevin Powell, Head of Property for South Shropshire Housing Association, casts
doubt on whether PVC-U windows can truly be recycled: "Although many companies
claim to do so, I haven't seen much evidence, and given the other materials used in
component parts, I'm not sure how well it works."

In fact, PVC-U is a thermoplastic and can be constantly melted and reformed up
to four times, giving one piece of plastic a possible lifespan of 140 years, or more.
It is completely recyclable and almost 100% of UK PVC-U off-cuts and fabricating
waste is recycled. The window industry even has its own recycling scheme -
Recovinyl. Yes, windows do need to be stripped of their components, but as
hardware is removed from every window, it's doesn't add much more to the job,
and modern recycling plants are highly efficient. Carbon emissions are much less
for the remaking of recycled PVC-U than for using virgin timber - 250kg per tonne
as opposed to 2,000kg per tonne.

Ian Horler, Procurement Services Team Leader, says Severnside Housing uses
PVC-U windows for new build and replacements, and that "many RSLs also use
PVC-U to lower their long term maintenance costs." He doesn't believe it's a
sustainable material though: "In future years we'll have lots of old PVC-U windows
that have been taken out and will need to be recycled. I would expect this to be a
costly process. Timber is biodegradable and can be burnt which makes them carbon
neutral, rotted or turned into wood chip. Although some timber windows have
survived in houses for hundreds of years, there was a period of building around the
1960s to 70s when the softwood used did not last many years.
However the treatment of timber today means that softwood windows should now
stand the test of time, but will still require regular maintenance and this would still be
a cost burden to an RSL. The only complaints we have regarding PVC-U windows
are about the wear and tear of the hinges and furniture rather than the window frame."

PVC-U - the facts

PVC-U is a natural, durable and versatile product with a much reduced environmental
product compared with other plastics and some other materials. It's unlike any other
plastic, made from 43% ethylene (a by-product of oil) and 57% chlorine (derived from
natural salt, sodium chloride). In the future, ethylene will most likely come from
ethanol, produced by organic sources such as sugar or vegetable oil.

Dr Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, is now a supporter of PVC-U:
"It doesn't need to be recycled, it doesn't need to be replaced. It lasts hundreds
of years in the ground as a pipe. Durability means less cost in maintenance
and replacement."

Specifiers need the facts to choose the right material for the job - not spin
or prejudice. Clearly, not all the messages get through. PVC-U is a great product,
and it's been specified so widely for a reason. It's low maintenance, and remedial
work is rare. It's easy to fit. It's cost-effective. It looks good (with many designs,
colours and finishes), and it's durable. It's recyclable - and it's sustainable.