Plastic frame profiles based on recycled content 

The circle is (almost) complete!

The requirements around sustainability and energy efficiency are becoming increasingly stringent. In addition to sophisticated insulation of roofs, floors and facades, careful sealing of seams and cracks is essential to ensure optimal air sealing. RecyStel contributes to this with a diverse range of structural frame profiles for plastic, wooden and aluminum frames, to which a special foam gas has been added. Thanks to this foam gas, the frame profiles can be processed as easily as wood and building owners, users and occupants benefit from excellent thermal insulation. What is also unique is that over 95% of the frame profiles consist of recycled materials from old, disassembled window frames, leftover pieces and saw waste. The "donor material" is high-quality plastic that is free of plasticizers. This makes the profiles many times more durable than wood.

RecyStel is a joint venture of the Zwaag Group (which also includes GevelNed, ColorNed, Select Windows) and Profextru. The RecyStel frame profiles are produced under private label by Profextru, a Dutch manufacturing company with more than 60 years of experience in the development and production of plastic profiles for a variety of target markets. 

"In addition to profiles for the protection of banks and watercourses, we produce plastic wall systems for the hall construction, stable construction and car and truck wash industries, among others," explains general manager Bert Nijhuis. "We also make wall cladding. In 2003 the production of the RecyStel frame profiles was added to this. As an organization, we attach great value to sustainability and circularity. For example, we very consciously choose recycled plastic as the basic raw material for our products. Only on the visible side is new material often added, perfectly combining sustainability and aesthetics." 

This often involves layers of only a few tenths of a millimeter, he says, which determine, for example, the color and UV resistance of the end products. "At the end of their service life, our profiles 100% are reusable as raw material for new end products."

From old window frame to new raw material

The recycled base material preferably comes from old plastic window frames collected by waste processors throughout Europe, Nijhuis says. From the Netherlands to Germany, Poland, England and Italy. "Since the 1960s, plastic window frames have experienced a huge rise. For about 15 years, these window frames have been replaced by new plastic window frames, with a higher insulation value. The old plastic window frames released in the process are disposed of by specialized companies and purified of glass, aluminum, rubber and hardware. They are then processed into valuable new raw material." 

To make this possible, the old, disassembled window frames are first broken into small pieces. "To eliminate contamination, the pieces are additionally granulated into plastic pellets, which are reused in our production."

Comprehensive quality testing

"The use of recycled PVC in our production is only possible because our suppliers indicate very clearly the source and quality of the plastic granules," Nijhuis emphasizes. "Moreover, all big bags that come into our factory go through various tests before the material is processed into new profiles. In addition to thermal stability and bulk weight, for example, we test for contamination. This gives us a very clear picture of the processing possibilities." 

Depending on the quality, the plastic granules are used for the production of bank protections, walls, cladding and plastic frame profiles. "Whereas for the bank protections, for example, the impact resistance of the base material is decisive, for the RecyStel frame profiles we look in particular at the degree of contamination and suitability for foaming. Also, the material must not warp or work (expand or contract)."

Closed material cycle

The RecyStel frame profiles now comprise more than 95% of recycled materials, Nijhuis knows. "Our ambition is to increase this proportion to 100% for all frame profiles, so that a closed material cycle is created and no new raw materials need to be used. Various products are now showing that this is possible."