What is a durable window frame?

GEALAN is the pioneer of the recycling cycle: our own PVC residues, those of window manufacturers and also those of old frames, are put into a closed cycle. The valuable raw materials are then reused in new products. Although plastic profiles from GEALAN already comprise a large proportion of recycled material, that is far from it: already today, the company saves more than 49,000 tons of CO₂. By comparison, it takes about 4 million trees to bind this amount.

First a bit of history: back in 1996, GEALAN introduced its first environmental management system. In June of that year, validation according to the European eco-audit regulation was carried out at the Oberkotzau and Tanna sites. As a result, the company became the first PVC processor in Europe with this demanding management system. GEALAN thus produces, trades and operates in a demonstrably natural and environmentally friendly manner.

100% of production waste is reused thanks to state-of-the-art recycling facilities. With a new recycling plant at the Tanna site, GEALAN is moving from a manual to an automated recycling process. The new plant provides support with a multi-stage sorting process. Finely made profiles of rejected products are automatically stripped of dust and seals made of soft PVC. They are then sorted with high-resolution cameras into white and non-white regrind. The white grinding material is directly returned to the extrusion process for new profiles. From most of the colored recyclate, pellets are eventually produced. These too can be reused in extrusion and processed into new profiles.

GEALAN is also a partner of the plastic window frame recycling system. With this, the company promotes the recycling of used plastic window frames. These provide valuable raw materials for the production of new window frames. The plastic window frame recycling system already processes about 75% of all old plastic window frames. The goal? Let's make that 100%!

Sustainability in practice, however, has many facets. Saving energy and raw materials in the production of our plastic profiles are two fundamental elements. As part of the VEKA Group, we also work in a closed recycling loop: a large proportion of the PVC used by GEALAN comes from recycled material. And, this is increasing. Both old frames and our own production residues are added back into the highly efficient recycling cycle.

GEALAN is well aware of its responsibility for the environment and the world of tomorrow. The recycling cycle is therefore only one of many tools. The use of renewable energy, increasingly efficient production processes, responsible handling of resources and raw materials, and cooperation with regional partners wherever possible has become a matter of course for us over time.

Green power

By switching to green electricity, GEALAN in Oberkotzau saves over 1,900 tons of CO₂. In fact, at the Tanna production site, it is over 16,000 tons of CO₂ that can be saved annually. With this, the company's carbon footprint continues to improve, as no CO₂-emissions or radioactive waste are generated.

At GEALAN, we consider recycling as early as the product development phase. This applies to the development of new tools for profile production, to the production of the profiles themselves but also to the recyclability of the finished product. In this way, GEALAN products are designed sustainably from the first sketch to the reusable end product.

GEALAN innovations save additional raw materials and resources: the optimized thermal insulation values of GEALAN profiles and our color technology GEALAN-acrylcolor®, which is constantly being further developed, also ensure particularly energy-saving and even more sustainable window frames.

Let's be clear: this is how we make GEALAN plastic window frames a sustainable choice!    

'Environmental and climate-friendly thinking is in our genes'

For Kufa Window Systems, looking to the future - and the responsibility that can be taken for it - has always been very important. Henk Weber and Didier Holslag explain that even in the current zeitgeist, it became one of the most important topics, brought up every time with their partners. 

Henk: "Recycling and creating circular processes is an essential part of our strategy on the way to energy cost savings. It's actually that simple. We think along with the green line of society. Nothing more and certainly nothing less!"

By the way, Didier explains that this applies not only to the product groups that the IJmuiden-based company delivers to the market, but also to its own operations. "On our buildings, we already have about 600 solar panels. We don't do that for nothing. After all, there is also our social responsibility there. We want to maintain and increase the green line across the board. Environmental and climate-friendly thinking is in our genes."