The Anti-PVCu Narrative Has Already Started To Creep In

As we well know, the tide is very quickly turning against the use of plastics. Especially single use plastics. Understandable, given the immense damage humanity has caused the planet with it’s misuse.

But, we must remember that plastic is still a fantastic material, in use around the world, embedded in our daily lives and across industries. Including of course our very own window and door sector.

We are still in the early phases of change as a society and our use of plastic, and generally that means much criticism towards those that produce and use it. In the past few weeks I have predicted, along with others, that it won’t be long until our own industry starts to see the wave of criticism hit.

It may just have started.

Social media comment

I was sent a screenshot from the guys at Eurocell from their Facebook page earlier on in the day. Take a look:

Credit: Eurocell

On the face of it, it’s just a throw away comment from another Facebook user. But it does indicate more. It’s a demonstration that the current narrative against the use of plastics is continuing to spread and has begun to shift towards our industry.

But notice the response from Eurocell and then the response from Mal. The company responded solely with information about the material, educating the person commenting. As a result, Mal was more informed and didn’t attack back.

This should be an early lesson for our industry.

Opportunity through education

There’s no hiding away, we’re going to get hit by the anti-plastic narrative. In fact, I think it’s probably already started. That one comment above is just a single comment on one post. No doubt there are already conversations going on right now in the public domain about PVCu windows and doors somewhere.

So how do we react? We don’t. We have to act and be preemptive. Don’t wait until the bombardment starts. We need to be hitting the ground running now. As an industry we need a joined up effort, across companies and sectors, to promote the positives of PVCu to the general public. Remember, PVCu still totally dominates the residential market and towers above aluminium and timber. I don’t foresee the public instantly dropping it from their list of preferences. But, it’s within reason that the PVCu industry could lose a significant amount of business if the general public start to believe that the material needs to be removed from use completely.

To hit the ground running, the industry needs to combine it’s efforts to promote the positive use of PVCu as a sustainable material. But not only that, to combine resources, ideas and brains to completely revolutionise how we use PVCu in the window and door industry. As part of our evolution, our sector needs to totally change how we produce and reuse PVCu windows and doors. Yes we have recycling facilities, but only by a handful of companies. They also have pick up facilities. But again, only be a few companies. There’s nothing in the way of a joined up, connected cross-industry service which could ensure that no PVCu post-consumer material goes into the ground.

In the long run, I believe that there is a huge opportunity to be had here too. Not only to preserve PVCu as a vital material within UK fenestration, but to also create a whole new industry within windows and doors. The demand for recycling is only going one way. There is a genuine chance here to create a brand new sector: the recycled window and door industry. Think about the thousands of jobs that could be created just via the infrastructure required alone. Factories will need to be built. Drivers will be needed to drive to vehicles that pick up the post-consumer waste. Engineers will be needed. Workers will be required to operate the new factories. More staff needed to help create the new window and door profiles, as well as the people needed to make it. Designers, architects, builders. Can we really afford to pass this up?

We have a unique opportunity here. To do something genuinely good, across industry and not just for selfish single-company gain. And to take a major step forward in making our industry much more sustainable.

I know there are already things in motion. Watch this space.