Four Simple Steps to Recycle Vinyl Siding

Recycling campaigns have been buzzing across airwaves for decades, but until recently, there have been some products that we’ve just assumed as consumers, contractors, and distributors have to go to the landfill. Vinyl siding is one of them.

But gone are the days of having to dump vinyl scrap—new, used, and unused—into the landfill. Today’s technology makes it possible for us to turn vinyl siding scrap back into all kinds of useful products, including more vinyl siding.

Vinyl siding gets recycled in four simple steps, and only one of them requires you:

1. Gather vinyl siding scrap
2. Distributors receive vinyl siding scrap
3. Recycled vinyl siding is processed
4. Processed vinyl creates new products

Let’s dig into each of these steps a little bit more.

Step One: Gather Vinyl Siding Scrap

The first step in recycling vinyl siding is gathering the scrap material. This can include old vinyl siding removed during renovations, new scraps leftover from construction projects, and even vinyl siding scrap collected at the manufacturing and distribution facilities. 

Homeowners, contractors, and builders can all participate in this step. To make the process efficient, it’s essential to:

• Separate: Keep vinyl siding separate from other types of waste to ensure it can be easily recycled.
• Clean: Remove any nails, insulation, or other non-vinyl materials attached to the siding. Recycling facilities can only collect and process vinyl siding materials that are free of dirt, fasteners, and other contaminants.
• Collect: Place your vinyl siding scrap into a collection bin provided to you by Return Polymers. We work with all of our partners to determine the best size and collection method to meet your needs.

The Return Polymers team takes it from there… literally.

Step Two: Distributors Receive Your Vinyl Siding Scrap

In partnership with area recycling facilities and waste management companies, Return Polymers can work with you to determine the best method for collecting and transporting your vinyl siding scrap. Contractors might partner with an area distributor through a take-back program. Manufacturers and distributors might be best suited to partner directly with Return Polymers. 

In all situations, Return Polymers will orchestrate the collection and transportation process that makes the most logistical sense.

Step Three: Recycled Vinyl Siding Is Processed

The real magic happens back at the recycling facility. Here at Return Polymers, your vinyl siding scrap is cleaned, sorted further, and ground down into fine granules that can be melted down into new products.

Step Four: Processed Vinyl Creates New Products

Once the vinyl is processed into pellet form, manufacturers purchase the recycled material to make new products, including cladding, decking, and flooring.

The full-circle vinyl recycling program can’t run its full-circle course without contractors, distributors, and manufacturers like you. Without partners who see the value and importance of diverting vinyl siding from landfills back into the supply chain, the work we do is not possible.

It all begins with you.

Connect with Return Polymers today to begin recycling your vinyl scrap. Call us at (419) 289-1998 or get in touch online.