We Have it Covered

The aim of ROOFCOLLECT, a program set-up by the leading manufacturers of plastic rrofing and underlays, is the cost-effective and environmentally compatible collection and recycling of PVC roofing underlays. RENOLIT actively supports the pan-European program. RENOLIT’s Business Unit Manager Christian Vergeylen is also currently the President of the ESWA (European Single ply Waterproofing Association). ROOFCOLLECT was founded in 2003 by the manufacturers of plastic roofing and underlays. ROOFCOLLECT has been a success: in 2009 alone, 1,297 tonnes of discarded roofing and underlays were recycled.

Long Tradition of Recycling at RENOLIT

Already back in the 80’s, RENOLIT was a co-founder of the recycling plant of the AfDR (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für PVC-Dachbahnen-Recycling) in Germany. According to RENOLIT Business Unit Manager Christian Vergeylen: “We wanted to promote the use of the new material PVC against the backdrop of the previously used bitumen and demonstrate to PVC opponents that the new material is sustainable and recyclable. In 1987 the company was a co-initiator and one of the founders of the ESWA and thus also of the ROOFCOLLECT program”.    

The first plastic roofing and underlays for flat-roofs appeared on the market in the early 70’s.  The old roofing and underlays are presently collected by ROOFCOLLECT and efficiently recycled with a highly positive eco-efficiency. Following the success of ROOFCOLLECT in Germany, other European countries have now joined the program. These include the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy, all countries in which RENOLIT has distributorships or manufacturing plants.

Chair of the Supporting Foundation

With ROOFCOLLECT, the manufacturers of plastic roofing underlays made a contribution to the initiative Vinyl 2010. With this program, manufacturers voluntarily agreed to collect and recycle 50 % of their discarded PVC roofing underlays up to the year 2010. ROOFCOLLECT is one of many recycling programs sponsored by the Initiative Vinyl 2010 as well as the Vinyl Foundation, an trust currently chaired by the RENOLIT Board Chairman, Michael Kundel.