VinylPlus issues progress report

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) has during the past 15 years “undergone a remarkable transformation from being a much-maligned plastic material to playing an important role in addressing climate change and establishing a circular economy,” according to the Brussels-based organisation VinylPlus.

The group says the vinyl industry now “is seen as a role model for tackling sustainability challenges” driven in part by the European PVC industry’s voluntary commitments Vinyl 2010 and VinylPlus.

A new report, titled “On the Road to Sustainability: The Ongoing Progress of VinylPlus,” has been designed to tell the story of how the Vinyl 2010 program has spurred recyclability and lowered the carbon footprint of many PVC products.

Launched in March 2000, the 10-year Vinyl 2010 program “kick-started the recycling of more than one million metric tons of PVC [scrap] in Europe throughout that decade,” says the group. The volume figure is a “significant achievement considering that no [PVC recycling] infrastructure existed in 1999 and the material was then widely regarded as ‘unrecyclable,’” adds VinylPlus.

Emissions of vinyl chloride monomer and dioxins during manufacturing decreased dramatically under Vinyl 2010, the report states, while the use of cadmium-based stabilisers ended in 2001.

VinylPlus was formed in June 2011 “to build on the achievements of Vinyl 2010 with a bold vision of making PVC truly sustainable.”

In 2014, more than 480,000 tonnes of PVC scrap, such as rigid PVC films, pipes and fittings, window profiles and related products, as well as flexible PVC (cables, membranes and flooring) were recycled through a European-wide network of 155 Recovinyl-accredited recyclers.

The use of lead-based stabilisers decreased by 86% in the EU-28 between 2007 and 2014 and is on track to complete replacement by the end of 2015. Energy consumption by PVC resin producers also has fallen by 10.2% in line with the target of 20% reduction by 2020.

“Judging by our substantial progress to date, it is clear that the European PVC industry is on the path to sustainability and has impressed the outside world with its voluntary commitment that enables economic growth and job creation with taking care of the planet’s future,” says Brigitte Dero, VinylPlus’ general manager.

Dero also refers to a vinyl scrap recycling effort connected with the 2012 London Olympics. “The organisers, wanting the games to be the greenest in history, specified strict sustainability requirements for materials used. Many tonnes of PVC manufactured in accordance with VinylPlus principles were used in the buildings and some of the PVC was recycled or reused afterwards. Thanks to our efforts, PVC can today be considered an Olympic material.” Some recycled vinyl was used to make new flooring (pictured).