Canada's vinyl and fenestration industry groups announce pilot to recycle vinyl windows

The Vinyl Institute of Canada (VIC), headquartered in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has announced Project Win-Finity, a national pilot program stewarded by the association and aimed at recycling postconsumer polyvinyl chloride (PVC) windows.

The initiative, in partnership with Formosa Plastics Corp., U.S.A., the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Vision Extrusions Group, will help establish a circular recycling system for vinyl windows across Canada.

"Recycling postconsumer PVC windows cuts CO₂ emissions, saves raw materials, and keeps waste out of landfills." says Fred Neske of Formosa Plastics, Livingston, New Jersey.

The project also is supported by Fenestration  Canada, Strategic Materials Inc., the Municipal Waste Association of Ontario, the Siding and Window Dealers Association of Canada, Viking Recyclers Inc. and EPL Plastics Inc.

"This collaboration marks a major step toward diverting vinyl and glass from landfills and creating new products from old windows," says project lead Tony Vella of Vision Extrusions Group, Vaughan, Ontario.

Marzieh Riahinezhad, research officer at the NRC and the project's technical lead, notes that the pilot aims to minimize plastic waste and contribute to reducing the Canadian construction sector's carbon footprint.

"We're building on the success of our 2020 PVC 123 Medical Recycling Project partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada," VIC President and CEO of the Aiñe Curran says. "This new initiative further proves the recyclability of PVC and the industry's commitment toward a circular economy."