Progress report for
VinylPlus
Achievement at a glance
PVC waste recycling within the VinylPlus framework reached 639,648 tonnes in 2017.<br>Together with five other organisations from the plastics value chain, VinylPlus has committed – in cooperation with the European Commission – to further expand existing plastics recycling activities, and hence to contribute to the recycling and reuse of 50% of plastics waste by 2040.
<br>Strategic reorganisation of Recovinyl (the organisation set up in 2003 to facilitate PVC waste collection and recycling in the framework of the Voluntary Commitments), both in its management structure and its data collection and reporting systems to further improve its performance.
<br>Cooperation with EU authorities continued to address the issue of legacy additives.
<br>A methodology named ASF (Additives Sustainability Footprint) has been worked out together with the NGO The Natural Step, to develop a systematic framework to evaluate the use of additives in PVC products from the perspective of sustainable development. The methodology is compatible with schemes such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) and Product Environmental Footprints (PEF). But it takes a wider perspective, giving a clear picture of where to aim and how to improve the sustainability performance of additives.
<br>Analysis of energy consumption data, covering about 20 production plants for flexible and rigid PVC films, showed an average saving of 20.3% per tonne of PVC product over the period 2010-2016.
<br>The VinylPlus® Product Label was implemented for the window profile sector, with six companies applying for it in 2017.
<br>Priority actions have been identified with the Social Partners of the European Chemical Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee in the framework of the new Cooperation Agreement signed, in the areas of health and safety, education and training, knowledge transfer and sector evolution.
<br>Further information on the activities implemented in 2017 can be found in the VinylPlus Progress Report 2018, independently audited and verified by third parties.
<br>
Challenges faced in implementation
The VinylPlus programme is privately funded by the European PVC industry and requires significant financial commitment. The European PVC industry invested over 5.6 million Euro in 2017, of which 3.7 million Euro in waste management and technical projects. Since 2000, more than 100 million Euro have been invested by the European PVC industry in its sustainability programmes.<br>Predictable and reliable policy frameworks are critical for industry’s long-term investments in research, innovation and technological development that can foster transition towards a low-carbon circular economy and sustainable development. Recently, uncertainties in the implementation of relevant EU regulations had negative consequences for investment in the research and development of new products and markets for recycled PVC. Legacy additives (substances that are no longer used in new PVC products but that can be present in recycled PVC), in particular, remain an open issue, which has had a negative impact on demand for recycled PVC. VinylPlus remain confident that the ever-increasing number of studies in support of PVC recycling and of recycled product safety can lead to balanced solutions that combine maximum safety with increased potential for recycling.
<br>
Next Steps
Continue to implement the programme and progress towards the achievement of the targets set for 2020, with the objective of creating a long-term sustainability framework for the entire PVC value chain and improving PVC products’ sustainability and their contribution to a sustainable society.Beneficiaries
Civil society
<br>EU PVC value chain
<br>Workers and employees
<br>
Actions
The VinylPlus programme is helping the PVC value chain to develop more sustainable products and improve production processes (more sustainable use of additives, improved energy and resources efficiency, emission reduction) and it is stimulating research and innovations among its partners (200 companies across Europe).<br>The almost 640,000 tonnes of PVC recycled in 2017 saved 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 and contributed to the creation of more than 1,200 direct jobs in recycling plants. Since 2000, 4.2 million tonnes of PVC waste were recycled in the framework of the European PVC industry’s Voluntary Commitments, saving 8.4 million tonnes of CO2.
<br>For the EU PVC value chain’s workers and employees, priority actions have been identified with the Social Partners of the European Chemical Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee in the areas of health and safety, education and training, knowledge transfer and sector evolution.
<br>In 2017, VinylPlus continued to proactively share its approach, best practice and achievements, participating in conferences, events and exhibitions at the European and global level.
<br>With the theme Towards Circular Economy, the 5th VinylPlus Sustainability Forum in Berlin, Germany, in May 2017, brought together over 150 stakeholders from academia, government bodies, UN organisations, the European Commission, NGOs, retailers, architects, designers and all sectors of the PVC industry. Discussion focused on policies for the Circular Economy and on how the PVC sector is contributing to this key objective.
<br>