Progress in environmental protection
In the area of products, materials and also processes, Deceuninck wants to make a contribution to reducing the burden on the ecological system, through the consumer and also through its operational units. At an operational level, due to the kind of transformation process, the burden on the ecological system, in comparison to other sectors in the industry, is small.

Eco-design and energy efficiency
In the development of new window series and construction profiles, special attention is paid to energy efficiency and recycling possibilities after use. All of this will make an important contribution to a reduction of energy consumption, including a strong decline in CO² emissions caused by fossil fuel combustion used in heating buildings.

The newest generation of our PVC window product range in Europe assures a more efficient use of energy. Half of the heat loss in buildings occurs via glass surfaces and the materials used for window frames. According to a calculation of the German Institute “Hermes Bauphysik und Fenstertechnik. Institut für Wärmebrückenanalyse”, which does research in construction physics, window technology and thermal bridge analysis, the replacement of windows of the newest generation, which is composed of 70 mm multiple-chamber profiles, and is combined with high-energy efficiency glass (U-value: 1.0 W/(m².K), can provide an annual reduction of 400 to 1000 litres of fuel in an average residence that has a glass surface of 25m², if the thermal glazing of the first generation (U-value: 3.0 W/(m².K)) and single-pane glass (U-value: 5.8.W/(m².K)) are replaced. Converted into CO² emissions, this means that an average residence can provide a reduction in emissions of respectively 1080 kg and 2700 kg per year. In Germany alone there is an overall potential of 500 million windows (average surface = 1.69 m2), which could provide the above mentioned reduction in CO² emissions through renovation. The new PVC window series of the Zendow and Inoutic platforms conform to these strict insulation standards.

Environmentally friendly compounds
As has been agreed in "Vinyl 2010", the European PVC industry Voluntary Engagement, Deceuninck has started with the implementation of projects that have a reduction of the impact on the environment as their objective. In Turkey, the Winsa production unit has already switched over to an environmentally friendlier compound. In the other European subsidiaries, this is valid for a substantial part of the construction profiles and the first window systems with these new compounds are being produced and delivered.

Recycling
Due to its involvement in EPPA, and within the framework of Vinyl 2010, Deceuninck has actively cooperated in the extension of collection networks for post-consumer rigid PVC products, with the objective of recycling these products and of obtaining recyclate material, which can be reused for new PVC construction profiles.
The success of these collection initiatives, better known under the name Recovinyl in the rest of Europe and as Rewindo in Germany, has resulted in an increased awareness by many national and local government authorities about the recycling possibilities of PVC products after use, and has led to a redefinition of their perception and policies regarding the impact of PVC on the environment.

The cooperation of the industry, in the area of collection and granulation of old rigid PVC products, has had an important impact on the product development processes at Deceuninck. A substantial part of this recycled material is, amongst others, used in the Cyclefoam® sound insulation panels. Higher quality recyclate has already been combined for many years with lower-grade recyclate from industrial waste, which is reworked into window sills and wall cladding profiles and then foiled with a decorative film. In the meantime, further work is being carried out in optimizing the use of recyclate from industrial and post-consumer waste and in reusing these for a new window profiles.

Processes
In 2007, the production site in Gits was successful for the 8th year in a row in renewing the "West-Vlaams Milieucharter" (West-Flemish Environmental Charter).
In Turkey, the production site at Izmir has, for the first time, been certified according to ISO 14001. In the meantime, preparations have commenced for attaining the same environmental certificate at the Winsa,Sari Mese, production site.
At the production site in Bogen, investments in the newest production technologies have led to energy savings of 200,000 euros on an annual basis.
The energy-savings projects, which were defined in the energy plan of the "Auditconvenant", a Flemish convention that promotes energy savings in industry, have in the meantime been carried out at the Belgian production sites. This convention is a voluntary agreement, which medium-sized companies can conclude with the Flemish government, whereby, in exchange for reduced taxes, an external energy study had to be carried out and a realization plan had to be developed for all energy-saving measures, including a cost recovery period of +/- 4 years. In the extrusion plants, this plan resulted in energy savings of almost 2%. Last but not least, a very thorough plan for internal, selective waste collection was implemented, with an emphasis on recycling.

REACH
The European REACH Guideline has been in effect since the 1st of June 2007. REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemical substances) is the European guideline that regulates the trade and use of chemical substances in Europe.
The necessary preparations for an inventory were carried out during 2007.
As a user of chemical substances (“downstream user”), the impact in 2007 on operational activities was rather minimal.