Energy efficiency and reduced
greenhouse gas emissions
PVC saves energy and reduces
CO2 emissions. PVC takes less energy to produce than
many competing products, and 20 percent less than other
plastics. PVC also saves fossil fuels. Its principal
raw material (nearly 60 percent) is chlorine derived
from common salt. PVC building products are highly energy-efficient.
Durability
PVC building products are highly durable, which conserves
resources. They will not rot or corrode like many other
materials and do not need cleaning with harsh chemicals
or frequent painting. PVC’s durability is also
an important environmental benefit, because the longer
a product lasts, the less energy and other resources
must be expended to make and install replacement products.
PVC also conserves energy in manufacturing and more importantly
in use.
Recycling
PVC is inherently recyclable. More than 1 billion pounds
are recycled annually (mostly post-industrial), according
to a recent study.
Water savings
2.3 trillion gallons of treated water are lost every
year because of leaks from aging, corroded metal pipes.
Because PVC pipes do not corrode and have among the
lowest pipe breaks, they save precious water resources.
Life cycle analysis
PVC’s impacts on the environment are comparable
to or lower than most alternatives. A 2004 study of
environmental life-cycle analyses (LCAs) of PVC and
competing building materials by the European Commission
(EC) found that PVC offers environmental benefits equal
to or better than those of other materials in many applications.
The USGBC PVC Task Group reached similar conclusions
in its draft report issued December 2004.
Safety
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Dioxin?
PVC is an extremely small source of dioxin, so small
that levels in the environment would be essentially
unchanged even if vinyl were not being manufactured
and used every day in important products. The proof:
dioxin levels in the environment have been declining
for decades, according to data from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. During this time, production and
use of vinyl have soared.
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Worker Safety?
OSHA statistics show that injury and illness rates
among PVC workers are significantly less than the
manufacturing average. In the 1970s, industry scientists
discovered that vinyl chloride, a chemical used to
make PVC, could cause angiosarcoma, a rare form of
liver cancer, in workers exposed at that time to very
high doses. This led to a complete overhaul of the
PVC production process, which became essentially a
closed loop, recycling wastes back into production
and minimizing worker exposure. The U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration issued strict regulations
in 1975, and there have been no documented cases of
angiosarcoma among PVC production workers whose careers
in the industry began after the new regulations were
promulgated.
Indoor Air?
Odors and "off gassing" from building products
are generally due to dyes, adhesive, and additives.
Many building-product manufacturers today are working
to reduce use of volatile chemicals and release of
odors. Resilient vinyl flooring that qualifies under
the Resilient Floor Covering Institute’s FloorScore™
program can be certified to help obtain the Green
Building Council's indoor air credit under the LEED
rating system.
Vinyl Use in Building and Construction
Approximately 76 percent of PVC is used in building
and construction applications. Vinyl building and construction
applications are typically divided into rigid and flexible
categories. The use of plasticizers differentiates flexible
vinyl products (flooring, wall covering, reflective
roofing, etc) from rigid (pipe, siding, fence, deck,
rail, etc). Generally speaking, PVC materials would
be classified as rigid when plasticizers have not been
added to the resin. |
