Co-extrusion: Optimising Our Use of Recycled PVC

The use of PVC-U products has grown significantly, with the British Plastics Federation reporting that more than 85% of new and replacement windows are now manufactured from PVC-U. As demand for PVC-U products continues to increase, so too has the volume of waste.  

At Victorian Sliders® sustainability and responsible manufacturing is at the heart of what we do. We frequently review and adapt our processes to reduce our environmental impact and enhance the responsible use of materials and resources.  

As part of this commitment, we have invested close to £250k to develop our co-extrusion process, elevating our use of recycled PVC within our products without compromising on performance or quality.  

What this means for the product 

Co‑extrusion is a versatile manufacturing process that enables us to combine recycled and virgin PVC‑U within a single profile, reducing waste while maintaining the performance and quality our customers value. 

Through ongoing development, we are increasing the use of recycled PVC‑U within our ECOSlide® sash windows in a two-phased approach: 

• From August 2026, ECOSlide® sash profile will contain up to 40% recycled content  

• From late 2026, the recycled content will expand into the frames and cill, further increasing the amount of recycled material  

Our co-extruded profiles are designed with the recycled PVC-U being used internally and encapsulated by a 0.8mm skin of virgin material to ensure consistency in the appearance, weather resistance and overall performance of our ECOSlide® sash windows.   

Why use recycled PVC?  

Recycling plays a key role in the way we manufacture our windows, but its impact goes beyond our factory doors. By maintaining and improving our sustainable practices and utilising recycled material we can help increase energy savings, lower demand for new raw materials, and reduce landfill waste, altogether minimising our environmental impact.  

Furthermore, utilising both recycled PVC-U and virgin PVC means that ECOSlide® windows retain all the same properties, making our co-extrusion process an ideal solution to improving sustainable manufacturing processes whilst maintaining the same quality and standards our windows are known for. This gives our customers complete peace of mind, enabling them to invest in a sustainable product without worrying about its integrity or efficiency.  

At Victorian Sliders® we have an extensive on-site recycling facility where we process both post-industrial waste and 100% of our own waste. Additionally, all our products are tested before they even go into production in our state-of-the-art quality testing laboratory. Both the recycled and virgin PVC-U we produce is used to manufacture our ECOSlide® sash windows, giving us end-to-end control of the process, ensuring reliable, consistent and high standards at every stage.  

What this means for our customers  

For our customers, this development offers a more sustainable product without compromise: 

• Same look and feel – Our windows continue to offer the same sleek and elegant finish. The use of recycled material is internal to the profile, meaning there is no visible difference to the finished product. 

• Performance standards– The co-extruded profile maintains the long-term durability, quality and structural integrity our products are known for. Our windows are engineered to meet and exceed the same standards as always.   

• Quality assurance – All of our products go through rigorous testing at our on-site quality testing laboratory, meaning you can rest assured that your windows are both structurally sound and dependable.  

• Sustainability without compromise – By increasing our recycled content to 40%, we can reduce waste and conserve valuable resources without compromising on quality, enabling our customers to make a more sustainable choice with complete assurance.