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Nationwide PVC Recycling

PVC Recycling

PVC waste can build up quickly on construction sites, during refurbishments and in manufacturing. Common examples include pipes, window and door profiles, flooring, cable coverings, signage and production offcuts.

Business Waste arranges PVC recycling across the UK for suitable commercial waste. We can provide the right bins or containers, arrange scheduled collections through licensed waste carriers and supply the required Duty of Care paperwork. The collection setup depends on whether your PVC is rigid, flexible, mixed with other materials or contaminated.

blue PVC pipe coiled up.
free bins icon.

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Get a fast FREE quote for PVC recycling

  • Free quote within 1 hour
  • Commercial PVC waste covered
  • FREE bins and delivery
  • We cover all of the UK

What PVC waste can we collect?

We can collect a wide range of PVC plastic waste. For example:

  • PVC and uPVC pipes
  • Window and door profiles
  • Guttering and drainage components
  • Vinyl flooring and suitable floor coverings
  • PVC signage and sheets
  • Cable coverings and suitable electrical PVC
  • Construction and refurbishment offcuts
  • Automotive trim and suitable interior components
  • Clean manufacturing scrap
  • Other identifiable rigid or flexible PVC

PVC containing other materials, hazardous residues, or clinical contamination may need a specialist collection route. We will confirm what can be accepted before your collection starts. Collections can be arranged daily, weekly, fortnightly, or on another schedule depending on your setup.

How commercial PVC recycling works

  1. Tell us what PVC you produce

    Let us know whether you have pipes, profiles, flooring, flexible PVC, manufacturing scrap or another material, along with the volume of each type.

  2. Agree the storage setup

    We recommend suitable bins or larger containers based on the size, weight and type of PVC.

  3. Keep the load suitable for recycling

    Store accepted PVC away from general waste, food, liquids and hazardous materials. Some PVC streams may need to be kept separate from other plastics.

  4. Arrange collection

    Licensed waste carriers collect the waste on the agreed schedule and transfer it to an appropriate treatment route.

  5. Receive the relevant records

    Business Waste provides the required Duty of Care paperwork and Waste Transfer Notes for non-hazardous commercial waste collections.

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What is PVC?

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a plastic polymer identified by resin code 3. It is produced in rigid and flexible forms. Rigid PVC or uPVC is widely used for pipes, windows, doors and building products, while flexible PVC appears in flooring, cables and other products that contain plasticisers.

Many products are made from PVC due to its density, hardness, strength, and affordability, including:

  • Pipes
  • Cables
  • Flooring
  • Window and door profiles
  • Mattress and bed covers
  • Blister packs
  • Car interior door panels
  • Mud flaps
  • Clothing and shoes
  • PVC decking such as Elements Advanced

Is PVC recyclable?

Yes. PVC is recyclable, including many rigid and flexible PVC products. It is identified by plastic resin code 3. Mechanical recycling is the main route used for PVC today, although the most suitable process depends on the product, additives and material quality.

Businesses should not assume every PVC product can be put in the same recycling container. Clean pipes, profiles and manufacturing scrap may have different requirements from flooring, cables, composites or contaminated material.

PVC window frames from underneath.

How can PVC 
be recycled?

Most recyclable PVC is mechanically processed. It is sorted, cleaned and reduced into smaller pieces before being reprocessed into material that can be used in new PVC products. Pipes, window profiles and other relatively consistent PVC streams are particularly suited to this type of recycling.

More complex PVC

More complex PVC, including some composite products or material containing particular additives, may require more advanced sorting or treatment.

Read our guide to different plastic types

Why is recycling
PVC important?

Recycling suitable PVC keeps a durable material in use and can create new pipes, profiles, flooring and other products. PVC is already recycled into new products across established European collection and recycling schemes.

For businesses, separating recyclable PVC can also reduce the amount of material entering residual waste and provide a clearer route for bulky construction or manufacturing scrap.

How to dispose
of PVC plastic

When disposing of PVC plastic from a business it must be removed by licensed waste carriers. You can store any type of waste PVC with other plastic waste on your premises before organising commercial waste collection, as it’ll be sorted at the recycling centre. At Business Waste we can help dispose of your PVC plastic waste responsibly by following these steps:

  • Get a free no obligation quote for PVC waste collection and recycling. Simply let us know how many plastic waste bins you need, what size, how often you want them collected, and where from in the UK. Our experts can help if you need a hand.
  • Book delivery of free plastic bins to your business – you only pay for collection. Fill each bin within any weight limits or max fill lines with plastic waste, including any type of PVC.
  • Move each full plastic waste bin to the agreed collection spot ahead of the removal time. A licensed waste carrier will remove your bins on time and replace them if you’ve organised regular plastic waste collections.
  • Your plastic waste will be taken to a nearby waste management centre where it’s checked, sorted, and PVC waste separated. This is moved to a recycling centre for cleaning, further separating by grade, and recycling into new PVC products.
  • We’ll provide a free duty of care certificate for each plastic waste load removed to confirm your PVC waste was recycled. Use this as proof that your PVC waste was managed responsibly, legally, and in an environmentally friendly way.

To dispose of domestic PVC waste, you should check with your local authority if plastic code 3 products are accepted in your household recycling bins. If not, see if you can dispose of them at your local HWRC. Otherwise, you can arrange collection of PVC waste from your home with Business Waste to ensure it’s recycled.

PVC code 3 logo.

Who needs to 
recycle PVC?

Most businesses create some type of PVC plastic waste that needs recycling, as PVC is the third-most used plastic type in the world. It could be small items like packaging or plastic gloves (that aren’t contaminated), to larger things such as window frames, pipes, and cables. PVC can be recycled alongside other plastic waste.

Some of the main businesses and industries that benefit from PVC recycling include:

  • Construction

    Waste PVC pipes, cables, guttering, flooring, window and door frames

    CONSTRUCTION

  • Healthcare

    Non-contaminated gloves, mattress covers, overshoes, and floor coverings. Used blood bags, gloves and other contaminated items require the appropriate clinical waste route.

    clinical waste icon

  • Automotive

    Seat coverings, sun visors, instrument panels, and mud flaps

    AUTOMOTIVE

Arrange PVC plastic 
waste collection

Tell us what PVC your organisation produces, how much you have and where it needs collecting. We’ll confirm the suitable container, collection schedule and recycling route.

Get a free quote

PVC recycling FAQs

  • bin shapes icon How is PVC made?

    There are four main steps to making PVC:

    • Salt and hydrocarbon resources are extracted for the raw materials to create PVC.
    • Electrolysis of salt water produces chlorine. Ethylene is obtained from oil, which is combined with chlorine to form vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).
    • Molecules of VCM are polymerised to create polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin.
    • Additives are introduced and the PVC polymer is blended with other materials to produce different types of PVC.

  • bin shapes icon How long does PVC take to decompose?

    PVC can take more than 450 years to decompose. However, the exact length of time depends on the type and size of PVC products. Thinner PVC wrap may take less time to decompose compared to a thick PVC pipe. Fungus or thermal degradation can biodegrade PVC – as it’s resistant to chemical breakdown.

  • bin shapes icon Can uPVC be recycled?

    Recycling uPVC is possible. Unfortunately, research has found that 83% of uPVC waste goes to landfill even though it’s recyclable. uPVC recycling follows a mechanical process similar to regular PVC recycling. Other materials must be removed before recycling uPVC to avoid contamination, then it can be recycled into new window frames and other uPVC products.

  • bin shapes icon How many times can uPVC be recycled?

    uPVC can be recycled up to 15 times without losing quality or structural integrity. As uPVC can last for between 30 and 50 years this significantly expands the lifetime of the material. It also saves on the resources and energy required to create new uPVC, having a positive environmental impact.

  • bin shapes icon Is uPVC biodegradable?

    uPVC is not biodegradable. It’s used for window and door frames because it doesn’t decompose and is highly weather resistant. Over time it will start to degrade and experience wear and tear. Most uPVC windows need replacing after 20 to 30 years but they don’t fully biodegrade, which is why recycling uPVC is important.

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Get a fast FREE quote for plastic waste collection

  • Free quote within 1 hr
  • Any type of waste plastic
  • FREE bins and delivery
  • We cover all of the UK

Published 30th June 2023 by Mark Hall. Last modified 12th August 2026