VinylPlus recycles over 500000 tons pf PVC

VinylPlus, the European PVC industry sustainable development programme, recycled 514,913 tonnes of PVC within its framework in 2015– an upward recycling trend of which window profiles and related profile products accounted for around 45%. The greatest volumes - 508,154 tons – were registered and certified by Recovinyl, the PVC waste collection and recycling network comprising 177 companies Europe-wide. The target is to recycle 800,000 tpa by 2020. The 2015 results were presented at its 4th Vinyl Sustainability Forum 2016 in Vienna, Austria where the industry shared its major successes, notably the replacement of lead-based stabilisers in the EU-28 market. Featuring top-level speakers from across Europe, presentations and panel discussions centred on the versatile role of PVC in meeting the future needs of people living and working in urban environments and how it can make a significant contribution to many aspects of the built environment. Welcoming delegates, VinylPlus Chairman Josef Ertl said: “European cities are forerunners in the transition towards a low carbon and resource-efficient economy. 72% of the EU population lives in urban areas, using 70% of our energy. To assure quality of life, future cities will need healthy and energy-efficient buildings, reliable water distribution and sewage systems, as well as affordable healthcare. Using PVC in place of other materials reduces costs, improves product performance and makes a positive contribution to sustainable development.” Stephan Sicars, Director Department of Environment, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) said: “The shift of emphasis to designing products and processes for sustainability offers the plastics and PVC industry many opportunities to capitalise on innovation, as well as consumer demands for better environmental performance and smaller environmental footprint of products. These trends are said to allow USD 3 trillion in potential resource savings by 2030 amid an emerging USD 1 trillion global ‘green’ market. “A circular economy is restorative and regenerative by design. The PVC production chain is making progress globally by reducing its environmental impact in areas such as chlor-alkaline production, energy and mercury use and VCM production. In addition, there are excellent developments in different regions and in Europe, especially.” VinylPlus General Manager Brigitte Dero presented the 2015 results and highlighted lead-based stabiliser replacement as a ‘historic achievement’. This means, from 2016, products made from virgin PVC resin by European converters no longer contain lead. "Undoubtedly, the highlight of the year for VinylPlus was the replacement of lead-based stabilisers in the EU-28 by the end of 2015. This major achievement by the European Stabiliser Producers Association (ESPA – www.stabilisers.eu) concluded a challenging journey that saw close cooperation along the value chain to solve technical constraints”. VinylPlus reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the issue of ‘legacy additives’ in recycled PVC in cooperation with regulatory authorities and is calling to propose realistic solutions for the continuation and development of PVC recycling, taking into account its resource efficiency benefits. VinylPlus is also intensifying its discussions with institutions in a committed effort to help find solutions amid ongoing concern from recyclers and converters over uncertainties in the implementation of relevant EU regulations, such as REACH, CLP and Hazardous Waste.