A 10 year program has been initiated by the chemical industry to reduce the environmental impact of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). The program has been triggered by fears of a potential ban envisaged by the Commission in a 2000 green paper in Europe. As part of the program, a consortium of major chemical producers has committed to make increased use of biodegradable plastics and polymers in their packaging products, including plastic bags and wrapping. The consortium represents about 90% of the European and global markets for biodegradable plastics. This environmental agreement has been signed by the consortium with the European Commission. The agreement also includes a commitment on compostable polymers, in order to facilitate opening new avenues in waste management and recycling.
Signatories include BASF (Germany), Cargill Dow (USA), Novamont (Italy) and Rodenburg Biopolymers (Netherlands).
18-Feb-05 
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