The same uPVC gets used across our whole range: casement and sash windows, composite and panel doors, even a conservatory.
Whichever you’re replacing, you’re getting the same recycled core and virgin PVCu finish.
What “recycled” means for The Advanced Group’s windows
That 80% recycled content makes up the bulk of the profile, the structural core that gives the frame its strength.
Every external face of the frame, the part exposed to sun, rain and Scottish weather, is 100% virgin PVCu. We do that on purpose.
The outer skin has to resist UV and hold its colour for decades. It can’t be made from reprocessed material that varies from batch to batch.
So the recycled content forms the structural core, while the virgin PVCu skin handles the weathering.
Where the recycled material comes from
Old uPVC gets processed at our recycling facility before it becomes anything new. That includes windows we’ve just removed on a job and offcuts from our own manufacturing line.
Some of that reprocessing happens through our recycling partner in Camden, Ireland, before the material comes back as fresh profile.
Either way, the plastic is cleaned, shredded and reformed into pellets, ready to be extruded into new window frames.
The process is closed-loop recycling.
Material that would otherwise be waste can re-enter manufacturing and come back as part of someone else’s new window.
How many times can uPVC be recycled?
uPVC can be recycled multiple times without significantly losing its properties, unlike plastics that degrade after a pass or two.
Industry figures suggest profile can be recycled up to ten times before it’s no longer viable!
Reprocessing capacity like ours cuts material costs as well as landfill waste. The goal is uPVC profile that performs like new every time it’s reprocessed, all while reducing the need for using raw resources.
Every profile, virgin core or recycled core, gets welded and tested to the same standard before it leaves the factory.
Does recycled content change how the window performs?
The double glazing unit does the thermal work.
Double glazing reaches 1.4 W/m²K as standard, and triple glazing reaches as low as 0.8 W/m²K. Those figures hold whether the frame’s core is virgin or recycled uPVC.
Colour and finish stay the same too.
The visible surface is always 100% virgin PVCu, so a recycled-core window looks identical to a fully virgin one.
It’s backed by the same 15-year performance guarantee as everything else we install, for as long as your uPVC windows last.
What this means for your home
Your new windows need to survive Scottish weather for decades, recycled core or not.
A profile has to last years before it’s even considered for reprocessing. Polyvinyl chloride, or PVCu, is built for exactly that kind of durability.
New double glazed windows from The Advanced Group are energy rated and stay energy efficient across their full lifespan. With our 15 year guarantee, you will feel confident in our protection.
They cut heating bills, and a lower-waste manufacturing process is one more reason to upgrade old, draughty double-glazed units.
Low maintenance either way
A recycled-core frame needs the same low maintenance as any other uPVC door or window: an occasional wipe down, nothing more. The finish doesn’t need any different care, since every visible surface is virgin PVCu regardless of what’s underneath.
The 80% recycled core and the 100% virgin PVCu skin are the same combination across every uPVC window, door and conservatory we make.
Every tonne of uPVC kept out of landfill is a tonne we don’t have to buy as new raw material. That’s why the facility pays for itself as well as cutting waste.
Why we believe uPVC recycles better than timber
Timber rots, and repainting or replacing it is a recurring cost that never really ends.
uPVC doesn’t share that problem. The same profile can be reprocessed and go back into a new window profile again and again without breaking down.
That repeat-reprocessing is the heart of the environmental impact case for uPVC over timber.
It never needs repainting, treating or replacing on the same cycle timber does.
For windows in all types of colours and configurations, consider our advanced uPVC options.
Recycled uPVC windows: your questions answered
Can uPVC windows be recycled?
Yes. Old uPVC profile gets shredded and reprocessed into pellets, which are then extruded into new window frames. It’s the same process we use for our own manufacturing offcuts.
How much waste does your recycling facility keep out of landfill?
Up to 55 tonnes a week. That waste gets reprocessed into pellets and fed back into new window manufacturing rather than sent to a tip.
Are recycled uPVC windows still covered by the same guarantee?
Yes. Every window carries the same 15-year performance guarantee, regardless of how much recycled material sits in the profile. That applies across doors and conservatories too.
Get a free quote from The Advanced Group
Ask us how much recycled material sits in the exact windows you’re quoted for. The manufacturing footprint is smaller before it’s even fitted.
If you’re planning to replace old windows anyway, ask about how much recycled material goes into the new ones. Ask what happens to the old frames once they’re out, too.
Book a free survey and we’ll talk you through exactly how much recycled material goes into your windows. Whether it’s a single door or window, or a full house upgrade, we’ll cover the U-values, the guarantee and the finance options too.
