Sustainability

PVC, including its flexible applications, possesses inherent sustainability-related characteristics both due its performance and its versatility into affordable applications.

•   PVC is extremely durable and cost-efficient due to its almost non-existent maintenance requirements.
•   It is a material of choice for energy saving insulation.
•   At the end of its life, PVC can be recycled without losing essential qualities.
•   It is widely used to fulfill people's basic needs in products that make life safer, more comfortable and more enjoyable.
•   In terms of economic and social welfare, the European PVC industry supports 21,000 businesses and employs over half a million people.

The environmental impact of PVC products has been investigated in numerous studies, quantified in many life cycle analyses (LCA) and compared many times to products made from alternative materials. The PVC industry is constantly striving to improve its production processes and products, investing in technology to minimise emissions, reduce waste and boost collection and recycling.

The ECPI member companies who produce high (molecular weight) phthalates are part of VinylPlus, the new 10-year sustainability programme of the European PVC industry which builds upon the achivements of Vinyl 2010.

Since Vinyl 2010 was launched in the year 2000, more than 948,000 tonnes of post consumer PVC have been recycled. Cadmium has been completely phased out and the progressive substitution of lead-based stabilisers continues at a fast pace.