The report was presented by the organization to the European PVC industry during the 11th VinylPlus Sustainability Forum.

 

Through VinylPlus, 813,266 tons of PVC were recycled in Europe last year, according to the report, which was presented by Karl-Martin Schellerer, chairman of VinylPlus, during the forum in Florence. That represents about 27 percent of the total PVC waste generated in the EU-27, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, he said. Other progress and achievements of the European PVC industry in 2022, cited in the VinylPlus Progress Report 2023, included that 8.1 million tons of PVC have been recycled and reused in new products since 2000. This has saved over 16 million tons of CO2, is said. In addition, the industry had invested heavily in research and development projects aimed at removing end-of-life additives from waste and improving the chemical recycling of PVC waste that cannot be recycled. VinylPlus had also launched a number of initiatives during 2022 to help member companies reduce resource and energy consumption, as well as minimize the unintentional release of PVC into waterways and the environment, is said. The Florence event, themed "Making the EU Green Deal Happen," had brought together more than 160 delegates from 21 countries to discuss sustainable solutions in the areas of carbon neutrality, circular economy in construction, green procurement developments and sustainable product certifications, according to VinylPlus. Karl-Martin Schellerer's summary: "The PVC industry is well on its way to achieving the initial VinylPlus 2030 targets." In the initiative, VinylPlus had committed to recycle at least 900,000 tons of PVC waste per year into new products by 2025 and to reach 1.0 million tons in 2030. "We are continuously working to improve our sustainability performance. However, a clear and supportive regulatory framework is essential to set even more ambitious targets and continue to play an important role in enabling the EU Green Deal," Schellerer said.

 
For more information: to download the VinylPlus Progress Report 2023 (in English)
 

Sources:

• Pressrelease VinylPlus (May 25, 2023)
• Image: © VinylPlus