Recent allegations made by Greenpeace against the PVC Industry Voluntary Commitment are unjustified and unfounded according to Rudy Galle, director Rulo S.A. in Belgium and chairman of the European Plastics Recycling Workgroup, a European-based plastics recycling group.
“The only way to ensure a sustainable PVC mechanical recycling industry in Europe with private companies such as Rulo S.A. or any other company investing in post consumer PVC waste is to work all together in the PVC chain", according to Galle. “Supporting the view of Greenpeace will only destroy the pioneering work my company and I started 8 years ago” said Galle, managing director of Rulo S.A., a PVC recycling company in Belgium.
“While the EU Institutions are working since more than 5 years on the PVC horizontal initiative we, mechanical recyclers, are recycling the actual PVC waste fractions.”
“Now it is time to act by bringing all actors in the PVC chain in action for delivering quality PVC recycling. Enough papers have been written providing sufficient evidence that there is nothing wrong with PVC. On the contrary it is an excellent material for recycling! European Politicians were impressed when they visited my company two months ago about the work we are doing! I herewith call upon any environmental organization to come and visit my factory or any other factory of EuPR members to see the work we are doing to the benefit of the environment, Galle added.”
Involving the PVC industry voluntarily in the collection of post consumer PVC waste is the best and only way to ensure these future PVC waste streams do not end in China or Taiwan just like the PET bottles. EU legislation is not preventing exports of good recyclable plastic waste. Together with PVC converters the PVC recyclers are working within CEN TC 249 WG 11 to ensure the development of quality standards for R-PVC material.