No sustainability without innovation and no innovation without pioneers. About a year ago, Kömmerling Nederland, Kumij and BAM Renovation Concepts took an important step in sustainability with the development and application of the world's very first fossil-free window frame profiles. But also a bold step, taken with confidence thanks to Kömmerling and Kumij's solid track record of sustainable innovations.
We can now conclude that it is also a successful step. Following the pilot with bio-attributed PVC in Steenwijk, 100% fossil-free window frame profiles have now also been applied in Almere, Bovensmilde and Pijnacker. This has saved about 32,000 kg of CO2, which is equivalent to about 1,455 trees. A saving that will only increase, now that several new projects with bio-attributed PVC are on the drawing board.
Underlying the 100% fossil-free window frame profiles is the use of bio-attributed PVC; a relatively new development that replaces fossil oil with a renewable vegetable oil, says Jelmer Bijlsma, Manager of Sustainability & Innovation at Kömmerling Netherlands. "This oil is a residual product from sustainable forestry and agriculture and does not compete with food production. In recent years, bio-attributed PVC has only been used sparsely in the production of flooring and car tires, for example, but never before in a plastic window frame! With this raw material adoption, together with raw material supplier INEOS Inovyn, window frame manufacturer Kumij and other chain partners, we are taking important steps to achieve significant CO2 reductions in the short term, in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement. Without compromising on quality, properties and lifespan. The window frames based on fossil-free PVC are just as strong and stable as 'traditional' PVC. And the appearance is no different from what we are used to. We therefore expect that fossil-free window frames will eventually become the new standard in construction. Especially now that more and more parties
show their interest."
The development of the world's very first fossil-free window frame profiles was extensively communicated by Kömmerling and Kumij and also widely picked up by the (trade) media. "Based on this, we received a great many responses," says Henk van der Vliet, Head of Sales at Kumij. "Both from housing corporations, investors, construction companies, property maintenance companies and fellow window frame manufacturers, who, for example, had questions about the new product, its composition, the scale at which it can be applied and the impact it makes. People really see the 100% fossil-free frame profiles as a new step in the development of sustainable plastics. The next step is to actually include the fossil-free frame profiles in their projects."
This requires that the traditional linear construction approach give way to shared ambitions, Van der Vliet says. "Sustainability and circularity must be supported and stimulated both top-down and bottom-up. Only then can the fossil-free frame profiles be successfully implemented in projects."
"BAM Renovation Concepts is - to take one example - a forerunner in this. Following the pilot with 19 homes in Steenwijk, together with BAM Renovatieconcepten we have also fitted 73 homes in Almere with 100% fossil-free frame profiles. We will also soon start a project with 75 homes in Wijchen."
Bijlsma: "A nice project is also the new construction of 23 houses in Pijnacker, where a combination of bio-attributed and recycled PVC was chosen in cooperation with Heijmans and Europrovyl." The projects have already saved about 32,000 kg of CO2, he says. "The actual savings are even greater, because the profiles can be recycled up to ten (!) times. European studies show that about 2 kg of CO2 can be saved per time and per kg of granulate. So count your winnings."
Combination of fossil-free and recycled PVC
Kömmerling's ambition is to produce 100% circular window frames based on 100% recycled PVC. In practice, however, this is proving difficult to achieve because not always enough recyclate is available, says Bijlsma. "Therefore, we have also been reviewing the new material we use, which has led to the introduction of our 100% fossil-free frame profiles in 2023. Our expectation for the future is that recycled PVC will keep a place in the core of the profile, surrounded by a shell of new PVC. When this new PVC 100% is fossil-free, we not only have the best of both worlds, but also a system that can sustain itself for a long time. Our future is fossil-free. With our 100% fossil-free window frame profiles, we are already anticipating that, and we are presenting housing associations, housing societies, investors, construction companies and property maintenance companies with an important choice: do they want to get ahead of the crowd or will they get on board later?"
Chain partners who want to lead the way are welcome at Kömmerling and Kumij to see, feel and experience the frame profiles. But also to pick up all the information they need to make good project choices. "For example, we took BAM Renovation Concepts and Heijmans to our production facility in Berlin, where they could see the production of the 100% fossil-free frame profiles with their own eyes," Bijlsma says. "Moreover, we maintain close contact with the raw materials supplier, who is happy to tell us more about what can and does happen in the market and how we can anticipate this together. This is also how we complete this circle."
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