Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Sustainability and climate change is top of mind for some of us, and not quite so high on the priority list for others. Whatever your stance, there is no denying the changes that are already affecting the UK climate as we see more floods and more heatwaves. Those of us who remember long hot summers in the 1980’s might think this is nothing new, but according to New Scientist, the spells of hot weather are getting more frequent, moving slower and lasting longer.
The UK government has committed to the global target of achieving net zero by 2050, which means balancing out greenhouse gas emissions and removing as many emissions as we create. The UK has also committed to a 68% reduction in emissions by 2030 as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution towards the Paris Agreement.
Architect – Faulkner Architects | Photography – Joe Fletcher
The Labour government has implemented several new bills to support the drive to net zero but as time creeps away, we think manufacturers should be doing more to ensure the people buying our products have sustainability covered from every angle, with no compromise to quality or desirability.
Sustainability considerations when buying new windows and doors
The first thing to say is, sustainability isn’t straightforward. There is no one magic solution and no single fact or number that manufacturers can apply to their products to prove they are environmentally responsible. There are, however, a combination of things you can look out for when buying your new aluminium windows and doors, that will help to build a picture of how sustainable a supplier is.
Material lifecycle
One of the things to ask when you are researching home improvements is what the lifecycle of your chosen material is.
The lifecycle of a material takes everything into account, from the extraction of raw materials to the manufacturing of the product, and from the packaging and transport involved to the recyclability of the material at the end of its life.
According to the Council for Aluminium Building (CAB), aluminium is virtually 100% recyclable without losing any of the material’s characteristics. And because of this ability to be successfully recycled, sometimes more than once in its lifetime, 75% of all aluminium produced over the last 140 years is still being used today.
Aluminium also boasts an incredible lifespan of 30-40 years, ensuring windows and doors made from the material are durable and robust for the long term. The already impressive natural life expectancy of aluminium can be extended further still with coatings that give the material additional protection against the elements.
Energy-saving properties
Perhaps the more obvious topic for consideration when being environmentally responsible with your choice of new windows and doors is how energy efficient they will be for your home. Energy-efficient home improvements directly benefit you because they keep your home warm and save you money on expensive fuel bills. But it helps the environment too because it reduces the need to turn up the thermostat and use more fuel.
The UK holds a lot of potential for reducing carbon emissions in its current housing because most of the windows in UK homes do not meet existing Building Regulations for thermal efficiency, which now state the need for windows to achieve a BFRC rating of B or above. The windows may have been compliant when they were installed, but new legislation and technology in the industry have moved more quickly than the practical need to switch out our windows, which has left us with a lot of windows that are lagging in efficiency.
Aluminium windows and doors are a particularly good choice for improving the energy efficiency of your home. For example, the Reynaers at Home SL 68 Slim Frame aluminium windows can already achieve an A++ rating, which means by choosing this option, you can not only enjoy savings on your fuel bills straight away, but you can also be confident that any upcoming legislation won’t overtake the performance of your newly installed windows any time soon.
Extreme weather suitability
We started this piece talking about the more extreme weather conditions facing the UK. Manufacturers committed to offering a fully sustainable package should be in a position to offer home improvement products that can withstand extreme weather conditions.
At Reynaers Aluminium, we design, test and certify our home improvement solutions for extreme weather conditions including wind and snow load capabilities and ensure they can withstand the changing climate we face in the UK. We have an in-house technology centre that allows us to focus on this side of product development.
Company ethos
If you talk to friends and family about their views on climate change, you’re likely to find an array of opinions and approaches. The same is true for manufacturers in the window and door industry. Some started working towards a more sustainable solution early, while others are a little later to the party.
For Reynaers, sustainability is part of who we are as a company. It’s in our DNA. We have set some of the most ambitious sustainability goals, including our aim to reduce our entire carbon footprint by 50% by 2030. We also have a corporate sustainability programme, Reynaers Act, to create a consistent company culture that prioritises sustainable behaviours across every part of our business.
If you talk to friends and family about their views on climate change, you’re likely to find an array of opinions and approaches. The same is true for manufacturers in the window and door industry. Some started working towards a more sustainable solution early, while others are a little later to the party.
For Reynaers, sustainability is part of who we are as a company. It’s in our DNA. We have set some of the most ambitious sustainability goals, including our aim to reduce our entire carbon footprint by 50% by 2030. We also have a corporate sustainability programme, Reynaers Act, to create a consistent company culture that prioritises sustainable behaviours across every part of our business.
Get the right windows and doors installed with the right partner
Whether we do enough to meet net zero by 2050 as a nation, or globally, remains to be seen. But by choosing sustainable products now, at least you know your home is future-proofed, whatever changes might be around the corner. Not to mention the fact that you can be safe in the knowledge that you have the most efficient and sustainable option available to you today.
Once you are happy that you have found the right sustainable products for your home, it’s also important to make sure they are installed correctly. It goes without saying that home improvements installed incorrectly will not offer the same energy-saving benefits and may not last as long as they should.
We understand the importance of finding the right installation company to work with and so have established a network of Reynaers at Home installers to give homeowners peace of mind. Members of our network follow a strict code of conduct to ensure our products are installed correctly while delivering excellent levels of service. Start your sustainable home improvement journey today by contacting your local Reynaers at Home installer.
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