Almost 195,000 t of post consumer PVC was recycled in 2008 through the “Vinyl 2010” initiative, a 30% year-on-year increase. Vinyl 2010 (Brussels / Belgium) said that its recently published progress report confirms that the PVC industry’s sustainable development initiative is definitely on track to achieve its voluntary commitment 10-year targets. Indeed, the replacement of lead-based stabilisers passed the 50% target, two years ahead of its 2010 commitment. In 2008, the lead stabiliser use in the EU 15 has reduced by over 50% since 2000 (-66,552 t).

The progress report provides positive news for the European PVC sector which, like the rest of industry, has been badly hit since the end of 2008 by the ongoing global recession. Delegates at the Vinyl 2010 “Talking sustainability for business” conference in Berlin in May 2009 noted that while the programme is on target, 2009 is proving to be a demanding year due to the prevailing economic climate. They also discussed the need to develop incentives to encourage the use of recycled materials, and the added value of the potential enlargement of the voluntary commitment of the European PVC industry at global level.

Jean-Pierre De Grève, general manager of Vinyl 2010 said that the report demonstrates the effectiveness of the industry’s voluntary commitment. He added that the consolidation of a network of PVC recyclers across Europe could be considered more important than the goal of achieving 200,000 t/y of post-consumer waste recycling each year by 2010.