Contra Vision’s original invention was partly inspired as way of creating advertising space without the need for adding wasteful billboards to the built environment. Our products also offer significant benefits in warmer climates in reducing solar heat gain inside buildings and vehicles, which reduces air conditioning costs.
As a longtime advocate for energy saving and other sustainable initiatives, we are constantly seeking new ways to reduce our environmental footprint. This includes a reviewing our products' CO2 footprint using an LCA assessment. Contra Vision’s Sustainability Policy reflects this sentiment and how seriously we take this responsibility with respect to our products, our people and the planet.
Our Product’s and Business CO2 Footprint
We are continually seeking new ways to reduce our impact on the planet. As part of this on-going mission, we are reviewing our products CO2 footprint as part of an LCA assessment and in parallel an assessment of our businesses footprint.
We now offer Contra Vision Advance™ our first PVC free perforated window film. Not only is this product PVC free but it also has a thinner facefilm and lower carbon footprint compared to its PVC equivalent product. PVC free is not always the best solution as there are other factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate product for an application, for example, printability, conformability, durability and end-of-life. Meanwhile the Research & Development team continue to work on ways to reduce the overall impact of the products Contra Vision produce, including reducing the weight of our products and further improvements to our product packaging.
Other initiatives such as flexible working for our employees between our offices and homes, has had a positive impact on the businesses CO2 footprint. A 60% reduction in commuting, plus virtual meetings taking place whenever possible, has had a big input into reducing the impact. We also now support employees with the Cycle to Work scheme in the UK.
REACH Compliant
We are proud that all our PVC products are REACH (an EU regulation) compliant, this covers all the products we manufacture including those we sell outside of the EU. We also now offer a PVC free perforated window film, please find details on our Advance range here, along with a number of PVC free Privacy Window Films.
REACH stands for the 4 processes it covers, namely the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals. A list of the substances is maintained that have hazards with serious health and environmental consequences (substances of very high concern – SVHC’s). Every year this list is reviewed and updated; our products are also tested as updates are made to the list. Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
Furthermore we also test our products for the use of phthalates (a group of chemicals used to make plastics more durable, often called plasticizers) which are used in the PVC manufacturing process, this is to ensure they are within the safe usage levels, this also falls under the scope of REACH. Annex XVII
Not all window film companies use REACH compliant products, we would recommend you check with your suppliers or feel free to get in touch with us here and find out more about our REACH compliant products.
Energy Saving Products
Contra Vision® perforated window films can have a net CO2 reduction when used on vehicle and building windows. This can be seen on our Benefits of Reduced Air Conditioning page.
The first assessment we had carried out was based on a bus travelling around Sydney, Australia with our perforated window film applied. By having the film in place on the windows, there was a reduction in the energy use of the air conditioning unit as the window film reflected the heat away from the vehicle.
Using that same theory we were able to calculate that by installing Contra Vision perforated window film on retail or office windows there would be a substantial saving in the air conditioning usage over the course of a year.
