Life cycle of a window frame

Window frames are made out of PVC-u. The 'u' shows that it is rigid (unplasticised).

Many people now prefer PVC-u frames because they require little or no maintenance.

Wooden frames are biodegradable but this means that they can rot if they are not protected by being painted every few years.

In this life cycle diagram, the window frames are not being recycled.

However, wooden frames can be incinerated as a source of heat and PVC frames can be recycled to produce new PVC polymer.

Click to continue and see the results of a life cycle analysis of wood and PVC window frames.