When you start a new job or move into a different role, one of the first things you do is take stock of where you and the business currently are, and where you want to be in the next few years. For me, having worked at Rehau for over 27years, these foundations have already been set in stone– it’s about making sure I help Rehau stay strong and provide a solid footing for future sustainable business together with our customers, partners and colleagues. In this article, I’ll be talking about the entire Rehau ethos towards its responsibilities – to the community, to employees and to the planet.
A greener operation
Sustainability and recycling are an integral part of everything we do at Rehau. By thinking about sustainability early in the design stage, we are able to produce extruded profiles with up to 80% recycled PVC content, and thanks to recent investments, we expect by the end of 2027 that around 2/3rds of our production output in the UK will be based on recycled materials. To support this, we’ve built up one of the UK’s most extensive closed-loop window recycling networks, working with over 200 waste management suppliers and window companies nationwide.
The UK construction sector accounts for approximately 25% of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions, which means that if we are to meet net-zero emissions by 2050, we must decarbonise the industry. By ensuring Rehau windows and doors are created consciously, we can take accountability for our carbon footprint. This is a commitment that isn’t static and will continue to grow as we invest more money into our Rehau recycling centre in Runcorn.
Nurturing new talent
One of the other initiatives that I’m keen to continue and develop further at Rehau is our work experience and apprenticeship schemes. The skills gap in our sector is a huge concern. In the UK, there are currently 3,327 job vacancies for glaziers, window fabricators and fitters, which are consequently stalling essential housing and infrastructure projects. I firmly believe that this is due to a lack of awareness among young people.
This is through no fault of their own – after all, it is down to employers such as Rehau and educational institutions to work together to provide opportunities in the areas where the most difference will be felt.
We’ve offered manufacturing apprenticeships to young people for many years as well as further education opportunities in Sales, Administration and technical roles. Rehau reap the benefits of having fully trained staff ready to join our workforce both during and after completing their studies.
Rehau also has partnerships with the local university New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), and is a partner of Building Our Skills, where we help students develop skills through exposure to real-world fenestration projects, allowing them to gain hands-on experience across Rehau divisions. There’s one recent Rehau project that sticks in my mind as a perfect example of what happens when both the planet and people are taken care of.
A holistic approach
South Wales-based window contractor, Solar Windows won a 10-year contract from Wrexham County Borough Council to supply new windows and doors across all of its properties. Part of its proposal was to work with Rehau’s profile extrusion factory in Blaenau Ffestiniog to make sure both sustainability and the local community were at the heart of the project.
Since then, not only have houses that meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard been provided, but Rehau and Solar Windows have partnered with Wrexham College to organise student visits to Rehau Recycling in Runcorn and to the factory in Blaenau.
Solar Windows and Rehau are also going to install an interactive wall inside Coleg Cambria which will educate students on Wrexham Council’s ongoing Window Programme.
It will feature real former windows from a Wrexham Council property and show how they are broken down, recycled, and transformed into a new window profile product.
It’s community projects like these that showcase the impact of sustainability from the start of production to real-world impact, and I aim to make this a guiding principle of my tenure.
Russell Hand is Executive Vice President Northern Europe (Window Solutions) at Rehau
