New sustainable systems made from recycled PET material

Sustainability and green commitment are themes, which are impossible to imagine our society without today. The Aluk Group has understood this message well and has therefore developed highly insulating systems constructed from recycled PET material. Today, the Themis and Kolos systems are equipped with insulators made of recycled PET material. Next year it will also be the turn of the Triton and Hermess systems. AluK itself is constantly looking for ways to produce more sustainably and counts on the green commitment of their suppliers.

The AluK Group is a global leader in the design and manufacture of aluminum window, door and curtain wall systems for new construction and renovation in commercial and industrial projects, residential and public facilities. The family company with strong European roots now comprises nine operational and commercial entities, which today serve some 50 countries worldwide. With more than 70 years of experience, AluK develops aluminum profiles that meet complex technical requirements. Thanks to continuous investment in R&D, they remain a pioneer with powerful, durable solutions time and again.

PET Insulators

After the innovative release of ABS insulators, AluK is once again unpacking a first at Polyclose: a sustainable product range.

"From now on, our Themis and Koloss systems are equipped with insulators made of recycled PET material. In 2020, the Triton and Hermess systems will also follow. We are currently the first supplier of aluminum systems in Belgium and the Netherlands with such innovative systems. It was the same when we introduced high-insulating systems with ABS insulators ten years ago," says Stefaan De Kegel, R&D manager at AluK.

"In one tilt-and-turn window system of, say, 1230 x 1480 mm, we process up to as many as sixty-five 1.5-liter PET bottles. This is how we give plastic a second life and do our bit for a better environment."

In addition to durability, these PET insulators offer several other advantages. For example, they can be perfectly powder coated in the desired color. Since the insulators contain less moisture, environmental influences, such as heat, cold and humidity, also hardly affect the shape. PET profiles have very good resistance to UV rays and are also recyclable and permanently reusable without loss of properties and with minimal CO₂-production.

AluK's Themis and Kolos systems are now equipped with insulators made of recycled PET material. (Image: Arno Fooy).

Focus on a sustainable future

AluK is constantly looking for ways to produce more sustainably. "Actually, this development is a logical step for a supplier to the industry: we all want to give our children a better and healthier future. This is alive not only at AluK, but also among consumers, who are increasingly aware of the material and energy consumption of their own homes as well as the life cycle of products," assumes Steffen Hageman, managing director of the AluK Group.

"At AluK, we have understood that message well and tailored our developments accordingly. Witness to that are these PET insulators. We continue to innovate to move more and more toward a circular economy and a healthier environment."

At the AluK Group, they don't do it alone. After all, they also count on the green commitment of their suppliers. They already recycle the basic aluminum material on a large scale without any loss of quality. For example, 75 % of all aluminum produced over the past 140 years is still being recycled today. In addition, the profiles are made with X-ECO alloys.
Here, 80 % of the range comes from recycled construction material. X-ECO alloys also provide a CO₂-reduction. For example, standard alloys consume 7 tons of CO₂ per ton of aluminum. For X-ECO alloys, it is only 2 tons of CO₂.

"We ourselves and our suppliers have all the certificates to produce in a responsible and sustainable manner. Among other things, we hold a UV ray certificate and X-Eco certificates," Hageman and De Kegel conclude.  

POLYCLOSE - BOOTH 1600