Bereco spearheads drive to eliminate plastics from construction industry

An initiative to rid the construction industry of plastic packaging and other waste is being spearheaded by sustainable timber window and door supplier Bereco.

The firm, which manufactures its products under strict sustainable processes, has recently taken part in Plastic Free July, a campaign organised by The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP).

An online summit was organised by the ASPB Reducing Plastics in Construction Group, which brings together representatives from across the building sector to address the use of plastics in products and packaging.

Bereco is a patron member of both the ASBP and the plastics working group. Managing director Nicola Harrison spoke at the summit, outlining what the company has done to eliminate plastic from its own packaging by reusing timber pallets.

She said: “Our goal by the end of 2024 is to use only plastic packaging where we have to with 100 per cent recycled content, but we continue to look for a plastic alternative anyway.

“We have successfully replaced plastic paint pots, handle wrappers and plastic tape, and our banding is made from biodegradable polymer which allows the product to be fully decomposed at the end of its use. Plus, we’ve even replaced 50% of our product wrapping with a 100% recycled option and are actively working towards rolling this out further to the remaining 50%.

“Unfortunately, we’re yet to find a suitable alternative for our shrink wrap because of the nature of our products and their needing protection in transit and on-site. We’ve found that 100% recycled shrink wrap isn’t strong enough while the biodegradable options stick to the products and damage the finish. However, what we do use has a minimum 30 per cent recycled content.”

Made from naturally renewable materials means that Bereco’s timber products are carbon negative and come from sustainable forests. In fact, since the company first launched almost 20 years ago, the company has successfully saved over 66 million kg of CO₂ – the equivalent of taking 22,008 cars off the road in the UK.

As well as being made from sustainable materials, the Rotherham-based firm’s windows are also highly energy efficient boasting incredible U-values up to 15% better than the new 2022 Part L Building Regulations using standard double glazing.

Nicola added: “We are also working towards having the UK’s first carbon negative supply and installation service for homeowners needing replacement windows.

“Not stopping there, we have also set a goal of recycling 100 per cent of the waste from these projects and last year we achieved a 96 per cent recycling rate.”

Founded in 2003 Bereco provides high quality timber window and doors for high-end new build and replacement projects. Bereco sources all of its timber from sustainable origins which can be traced back to their roots. For more information visit: www.bereco.co.uk/