About The Windows Group

The Windows Group Mission Statement is:

"To promote and safeguard its members by enabling the UK plastics windows industry to fulfil its business potential.

To contribute to society and the environment by promoting responsible and sustainable development of the plastics windows industry and the benefits of plastics materials and building products"

The BPF Windows Group represents the interests of all those involved in the PVC-U windows industry - these include raw material suppliers, additives suppliers, PVC-U windows systems suppliers, fabricators and installers.

BPF Windows Group

The British Plastics Federation Windows Group (BPFWG) has been in existence since 1981 and over the intervening years it has played a major role in establishing the credibility of plastic as a material from which to manufacture windows. The Group helps to set industry standards, engages in dialogue with regulators and non-governmental organisations as well as creating an industry platform to communicate with customer bodies. The Windows Group is now the voice of the UK plastics windows, doors and conservatories industries.

Some of the Group’s achievements in the past have been securing in the BRE’s ‘Green Guide to Specification’ A and A+ grades for domestic and commercial PVC-U windows respectively, the recognition of a Reference Service Life of at least 35 years, and recyclability of the material up to 10 times.

The BPF Windows Group participates in the activity of the Construction Products Association and collaborates with other organisations such as VinylPlus, Royal Institute of British Architects , British Standards Institute and British Board of Agrément to influence and give detailed data and trends on the construction industry.

Windows Group Committee

The Windows Group committee is where all the decisions regarding the direction, strategy, financing and implementation of the Windows Group are made. In January 2006, Martin Althorpe (Technical Director, Epwin Group) was elected as Chairman. The committee is also engaged in tackling the issues of the industry and turn them into challenges, which can be met. Developing an industry consensus on waste management, refuting the campaigns of mis-information about PVC and focusing on the positive benefits of the material represent the primary aims of the team.

The Group can readily draw on the resources of the British Plastics Federation, as a whole, in terms of expertise, technical advice and informed opinion on such relevant matters as Building Regulations, European Legislation and VinylPlus.

With the dynamics of the construction industry changing, the BPF Windows Group will continue to develop the necessary tools to promote the specification and use of PVC windows across the range of market sectors, from domestic to commercial.

Committee members include BPF Windows group representatives from the major systems suppliers, raw material suppliers, standards and research bodies and fabrication companies.

The output from, not only this committee, but also the Technical Executive, serves to generate a large range of publications and industry guidelines. It also provides input into British Standards, European Standards and Building Regulations, liaising with the British Board of Agrément, the Building Research Establishment, and other Trade Federations.

These standards can be purchased through the BPF Bookshop.

The BPFWG sends a representative to all relevant European standardisation committees. It represents the interests of its members to promote sound standardisation that does not adversely affect the businesses of its members.

Please click here to view the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) website.

A monthly review of these and many other important industry issues is contained in LOOK OUT!, a publication by the BPFWG Technical Executive, which is available to all BPFWG members.