environmental

It seems that no other polymer or plastic has endured the constant wrath of public or environmental scrutiny as much as vinyl. Every where you turn there are articles, stories and rumors detailing the supposed hazards of this very versatile material. It usually doesn’t take much investigating to realize the arguments found in the mainstream press and elsewhere may be attributed to fuzzy logic and, to a larger extent; junk science - to advance a specific agenda. One of the best ways to refute these commentaries is to point detractors to the scientific facts that clearly define the historically safe everyday use of products made with PVC. For instance:

* Vinyl (or PVC) has been used in products for decades without any evidence of harm to human health. Vinyl is used in medical products such as blood bags and medical tubing and in such food-contact applications as meat wrap, bottles and can enamel. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulate these products for safety.

Add two more chemicals to the ever-growing list of phony health scares that have been peddled to the American public in recent years. Today a new report by a distinguished panel of 17 scientists and physicians, under my chairmanship, concluded that the chemicals DINP and DEHP, used to make toys and medical devices soft and flexible, are safe and pose no harm to adults or children. * The Latest Phony Chemical Scare by Dr. C. Everett Koop from The WSJ June 22, 1999

PVC resins when combined with many additives and modifiers to formulate a vinyl plastisol can meet the requirements for products in many industries. Plastisols are used to manufacture vinyl that is strong, durable, abrasion and moisture resistant; while withstanding rust and corrosion. These parts can be electrically non-conductive and have excellent fire performance properties. Plastisols are can also be made in a full spectrum of colors, with end products ranging from opaque to crystal-clear, and used in products as rigid as pipe or as flexible as fabric coatings and blood bags. Vinyl is less than half petroleum, making it the most energy-efficient plastic.

All types of vinyl products can be recycled and reprocessed into second-generation products. According to a 1999 study by Principia Partners, more than one billion pounds of vinyl were recovered and recycled into useful products in North America in 1997. About 18 million pounds of that was post-consumer vinyl diverted from landfills and recycled into second-generation products. Overall, more than 99 percent of all manufactured vinyl compounds ends up in a finished product, due to widespread post-industrial recycling.