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PVC and the Environment
Ecological evaluation
The environmental compatibility of PVC has been intensively investigated over the past 30 years. At the same time, all the production processes - from the raw material to PVC - have been ecologically optimised. Thanks to a large number of individual measures, resource input has been minimised and the emissions have been drastically reduced. With today's concentrations in our products and in the ambient air all below threshold levels, vinyl chloride is no longer a health hazard.
The commission of inquiry set up by the German Bundestag under the designation "Protection of Man and the Environment" established in 1994 that PVC is "one of the most thoroughly investigated materials". At the same time, the commission warns against substituting alternative materials for PVC without considering ecological balances. In important fields of application for PVC, such ecological balances are now available. They show that PVC compares consistently well with other materials. The low consumption of crude oil and energy is of particular advantage here (PVC comprises 57% chlorine, which is produced from rock salt, and this is available in practically unlimited quantities). The fact that PVC articles are extremely durable and require little maintenance is also of ecological advantage.
An added advantage of PVC is that it is highly suitable for recycling. Plants for recycling window frames, piping, flooring and roof sheeting have been operating in Germany for years. PVC's good price/performance ratio means that unnecessary additional costs are avoided. All in all, PVC may be considered a material with ecological and economic advantages.
The environmental compatibility of PVC has been intensively investigated over the past 30 years. At the same time, all the production processes - from the raw material to PVC - have been ecologically optimised. Thanks to a large number of individual measures, resource input has been minimised and the emissions have been drastically reduced. With today's concentrations in our products and in the ambient air all below threshold levels, vinyl chloride is no longer a health hazard.
The commission of inquiry set up by the German Bundestag under the designation "Protection of Man and the Environment" established in 1994 that PVC is "one of the most thoroughly investigated materials". At the same time, the commission warns against substituting alternative materials for PVC without considering ecological balances. In important fields of application for PVC, such ecological balances are now available. They show that PVC compares consistently well with other materials. The low consumption of crude oil and energy is of particular advantage here (PVC comprises 57% chlorine, which is produced from rock salt, and this is available in practically unlimited quantities). The fact that PVC articles are extremely durable and require little maintenance is also of ecological advantage.
An added advantage of PVC is that it is highly suitable for recycling. Plants for recycling window frames, piping, flooring and roof sheeting have been operating in Germany for years. PVC's good price/performance ratio means that unnecessary additional costs are avoided. All in all, PVC may be considered a material with ecological and economic advantages.