PVC AND THE ENVIRONMENT
1) PVC requires half the petroleum of other plastics.
2) PVC requires less energy to manufacture than many other building products.
3) There have been no documented cases of liver cancer, angiosarcoma, from VCM (Vinyl Chloride Monomer) in vinyl workers since the enactment of regulations by EPA and OSHA in 1975. These regulations reduced workplace exposure and eventually led to the entire re-engineering of vinyl production operations in the US. Today these production systems are essentially closed loop. EPA estimated that the industries VCM emissions have been reduced by more than 99% since the 1970’s.
4) According to the EPA, vinyl’s dioxin emissions are a tiny fraction of the overall total constituting less than 0.5% of the total annual emissions. Dioxin emissions in the US have decreased by more than 90% since 1987. During that time production and use of vinyl has more than tripled. Interesting to note that the primary contributors of dioxin to the environment include forest fires, commercial and residential trash burning, burning wood in fireplaces, vehicle emissions and the manufacture of other building products not made of vinyl.
5) About 18 million pounds of post consumer vinyl are diverted from landfills and recycled into second generation products each year. In fact vinyl accounts for less than 0.6% of landfilled waste by weight. Post industrial scrap, trim and off-spec material recycled from the vinyl production process adds up to more than 1 billion pounds per year which is also recycled into secondary vinyl products. At our company 100% of all post industrial vinyl scrap, trim or off-spec material is either reintroduced into the product we extrude or recycled into other building products.
6) As shown in ASTM testing, vinyl is self extinguishing, does not support combustion and reduces fire spread. Vinyl is one of the few materials that meet the stringent NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) requirements for insulating electrical and data transmission cables including in plenum applications.
7) A six (6) year study by the European Commission on the life cycle assessment of PVC and of principle competing materials released in 2004 stated “Vinyl is generally better for the environment than alternative materials”.
8) Every year 2.2 trillion gallons of treated water are lost because of leaks in corroded metal and concrete pipes. The estimated annual breakage rate is 0.5 for vinyl water distribution pipe versus 32.6 for cast iron and 7.9 for ductile iron.
9) PVC is made from a combination of natural gas, which is a fossil fuel and 57% salt. This is why it is called poly vinyl chloride, since chlorine is 57% of the base component. Once chlorine is processed into vinyl it is chemically locked into the product more tightly than it was in salt. Whether it is recycled, landfilled, or disposed of through modern incineration, chlorine gas is not released into the atmosphere. Most other plastics are 100% hydro-carbon based.