Environmental Information
Window Energy Ratings
Energy efficient windows are proven to save energy and reduce rising fuel bills, as well as lowering carbon emissions. The energy saved from efficient A-rated windows could offset the carbon used to manufacture the frames within months.
Why Energy Efficient Windows?
Poorly selected windows are a major source of heat loss in the home. Energy efficient windows help reduce your fuel bills and also help the environment through lower carbon emissions.
Window Energy Rating (WER) and What it Means
The WER rating reflects the energy efficiency of a window. As well as including the 'loss factors' such as U-value, it also includes the 'gain factors' such as solar heat gain. The rating covers the frame material, design, glass type and all other components.
Energy labels enable consumers to easily compare and select products based on the product's specific energy performance. Windows are graded on a scale from A down to G. The Energy Saving Trust recommends 'C' as the minimum standard for energy saving windows. Tradeframe supplies A Rated Windows as standard. Today's growing issues on sustainability and the environment has increased our social responsibility.
How Sustainable is PVCu and Aluminium?
The BRE has endorsed PVCu windows to have a 35 year life cycle and a recycleability of up to 7 times. 57% of the molecular weight in PVCu is salt, a sustainable mineral. The other 43% is oil based with PVCu using just 4% of the world's total oil stocks. All of our windows foils are an environmentally friendly calcium organic material. Technology has improved year on year, to ensure more of the product overall can be recycled back into new products.
Aluminium is arguably one of the most sustainable building materials on the market today. The recycling process loses none of the raw aluminium in the process and uses only 4% of the energy required to make the original aluminium. It is estimated that 75% of all the aluminium ever produced, is still in use today. In window terms, the lifespan of aluminium windows is limited by its powder coating, which is estimated to last around 40 years.
Can PVCu Windows be Recycled?
Old uPVC windows and doors can be recycled and reprocessed. Tradeframe recycles off-cuts and post-consumer window frames. Below is a video from our profile supplier, showing their state-of-the-art recycling facility in Wellingborough, demonstrating the process today.
Tradeframe’s Sustainability
We have taken a thorough look at the sustainability and impact of our business, and the products we supply. Reducing our environmental impact is crucial for everyone, and we already have several systems in place that help reduce our carbon footprint: -
- Our waste is sorted by material to allow glass, aluminium, and uPVC to be recycled. The aim for a sustainable society is a cyclical economy – where products can be recycled and reused, not thrown away. Of course, there is always a small amount of building waste that cannot be recycled efficiently, but we are always working on ways to reduce this.
- One of the biggest waste factors in an office is the paper. Last year, we moved over to a completely paperless management system, and have reduced our printing by over 95%.
- We have one electric vehicle in the fleet, and as the technology improves, we would be looking to replace our van fleet with EV alternatives.
Tradeframe.com's Future
Simply reducing our emissions isn’t enough to tackle climate change. One of the many issues affecting our environment is deforestation. Global tree cover is down 10% since 2000, and this has wide implications, from loss of habitat, soil erosion, and the loss of the CO2 capture the trees provided.
We have decided as a business to make a small step to a better future, so from January 1st, Tradeframe.com will be planting one tree for each door and window product we install.We will be
