It’s time to see more recycled products in the fabric of our buildings

Nobody needs to be told the planet is in trouble and unfortunately the construction industry is a major contributor to both carbon emissions and waste. Our default approach of using virgin materials over recycled options is a key driver in global warming. As such, we are exhausting our planet’s resources and invariably also increasing levels of embodied carbon.

However, it does not have to be this way. In the electrical sector, cable management is an area where real impact can be made. While in the grand scheme of large, multi-million pound complex buildings it might seem a minor detail, if you think about the volumes of cable management required, well, it can really contribute to lowering environmental impact of the building itself and the construction sector overall.

Essentially, by reusing materials we can lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the amount of PVC-U that ends up in landfill every year. However, to achieve this, we need to shift the collective mindset at a faster rate when it comes to the benefits of specifying cable management products with recycled content. This is because even though the products exist and are supported by compelling reasoning, they are not yet universally adopted due to some fundamental misconceptions. This is something we urgently need to address.

Despite there being a plethora of options, those who remain hesitant about making the switch would probably cite concerns over quality first and foremost, when in fact products containing recycled content can outperform conventional options.

For example, the PVC-U contained in our products began as plastic window frames. This raw material is more robust and higher quality than normal conduit or trunking virgin grade extrusion PVC-U. This is because the material used to make windows is a higher grade due to the need to withstand UV light and the external elements. Whether it has been sourced from factory off-cuts that would have gone to waste or from end-of-life window frames that would have ended up in landfill, repurposing the material back into the manufacturing process results in cable management solutions that provide superior quality.

Another common misconception is that recycled products may not achieve the desired aesthetics. However, manufacturers should be able to offer differing quantities of recycled PVC-U across a portfolio, so there will be a cable management product to suit the required finish and for a variety of applications.

As such, specifiers can strategically allocate products. For example, selecting a trunking system that has an unseen trunking base made from 100% recycled content is a sensible move. The visible covers will still contain a certain percentage of virgin PVC-U to ensure the required level of gloss finish. Trusted manufacturers will undertake regular sampling from production lines to ensure the favoured glossy white surface finish and the expected standards in colour consistency.

With the issues addressed, what should also be music to everyone’s ears is that the cost of cable management products made with recycled content is usually in line with those that are made without, meaning it is a cost neutral switch.

Furthermore, a successful project is always a sum of its parts. Cable management represents an area where a change can bring a wealth of benefits – and notably when it comes to embodied carbon. This is because if we can recycle and reuse plastic, it requires far less energy, and less embodied carbon than primary plastic production, which is incredibly resource intensive. In fact, a carbon study by Manchester University showed that recycled PVC-U reduces carbon emissions by 20 times versus virgin material.

It’s therefore important to engage early with the supply chain and request embodied-carbon figures for their products. The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) provide guidance on a simplified route to evaluating the carbon impact of mechanical and electrical products using basic material, transport and process data.

We are actively campaigning for all PVC-U cable management products installed within buildings to be manufactured using a percentage of recycled content where viable by 2028. As part of this initiative, we need specifiers to state the need for products with a minimum of recycled product as a project requirement and help to drive the change.

There is a wealth of sustainable cable management products out there that have been produced using recycled content – and ultimately, if the product is as good as, if not better, and available at the same price, the question is why wouldn’t you specify products with recycled content?