Helmuth Leitner

Bogota, 28 September 2010

Vinyl 2010, an industry voluntary commitment aiming at progress toward sustainability

Contents

• The Vinyl 2010 initiative

• Activities and Achievements of Vinyl 2010

• Lessons learnt

• A look at the future

The background

• Pressure on PVC from environmentalNGOs through the 80’s & 90’s, alleging:

– Emissions from manufacturing and incineration

– Mounting waste

– Hazardous additives

• Continued attacks through amendments to new EU legislative proposals

• Following ELV* Directive attacks, the European Commission decided to examine PVC issues once and for all

• Five studies on landfill, mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, incineration flue gases and the economics of waste management

• Green paper on Environmental issues of PVC published July 2001

*End of Life Vehicles Directive

Voluntary industry actions

• ECVM Industry Charters for the production of PVC (1995 and 1998)

• PVC industry Voluntary Commitment (2000-2001): “Vinyl 2010”

– The European PVC industry united to meet the challenge of sustainable development

– Addresses key issues across the whole life-cycle– Covers the period 2000-2010– Measurable targets– Intermediate & final deadlines– Verification by independent third party

A SECTOR GROUP OF CEFIC

A commitment to transparency

– Aim for maximum dialogue and involvement with stakeholders and policy makers

– Independent Monitoring Committee, bringing together representatives from:

• the European Parliament • the European Commission • Trade Unions• Consumer Associations• Working hard to include NGOs

– Annual, independently audited, progress report

• Stop using cadmium stabilisers in 2001

• 100 % replacement of lead stabilisers by 2015, with intermediate targets

– Minus 15 % in 2005 / Minus 50 % in 2010 (compared to 2000)

• Compliance with ECVM Charters for PVC production

• Risk assessments for phthalates

• Recycling 200.000 tons ofpost consumer PVC wasteby 2010 (in addition to recycledvolumes in 2000, and excluding regulated waste streams)

Key Vinyl 2010 commitments

Contents

• The Vinyl 2010 initiative

• Activities and Achievements of Vinyl 2010

• Lessons learnt

• A look at the future

PVC manufacturing

External verification of ECVM S-PVC and E-PVC production charters (2002 and 2005)

Final verification NOW

Impressive reduction of emissions

No major sustainability issue

Stabilisers EU 15 + Norway, Switzerland & Turkey

Tonnes of Stabiliser Systems

2000 2009Reduction

(%)

Formulated lead stabilisers 127,156 40,321 68.3

Tonnes of Stabiliser Systems

2000 2009

Formulated calcium organic stabilisers e.g. Ca/Zn systems

17,579 65,443

Plasticisers

Publication of the EU risk assessments for all of the major phthalates completed

The plasticiser industry is also working hard to ensure that its member companies can fulfil the requirements of REACH

Country-relatedStakeholders

Collectors

Receivers - Recyclers

Registration

Data input

www.Recovinyl.com

Local Agent

Recovinyl

Auditor

€

€

Vinyl 2010Recovinyl

Vinyloop

• The Vinyloop® recycling plant in Ferrara continued to improve its performance .

• A unique new decanter technology allows a significant improvement of the plant’s performance and recyclate quality.

Contents

• The Vinyl 2010 initiative

• Activities and Achievements of Vinyl 2010

• Lessons learnt

• A look at the future

End-of-life phase

• The challenges were not where expected– So far, collection tougher than recycling– Less waste than anticipated– Feedstock recycling was not needed – Fortunately!

• Recycling reduces significantly use of resources, if: – Waste collection, cleaning, sorting and recycling are eco-efficient– 1 kg of recycled material replaces 1 kg of virgin material

• If not, energy recovery can be an option

• Landfill is the worst option from an environmental point of view

Keep in mind the importance of the use phase

• Very significant impact of lifetime (durability)

• Windows

– Huge energy savings

• Flooring

– Primary energy consumption for cleaning is ¾ of the energy spent in manufacturing

• Pipes

– Impact of water leakage

– Smoothness reduces pumping energy

How to make voluntary commitments work?

• The strengths of the Vinyl 2010 commitment derive from:

– United value chain

– A set of measurable targets with clear deadlines

– A structured financing and management system

– Independent monitoring

– Regular reporting and transparency

• Useful learning for any similar undertaking.

Contents

• The Vinyl 2010 initiative

• Activities and Achievements of Vinyl 2010

• Lessons learnt

• A look at the future

What’s new

• Expectation of society has changed

• More open dialogue with the stakeholders

• Consequence: we started closer collaborations with a recognized sustainability NGO > TNS (The Natural Step)

• They set up workshops with other stakeholders

• They have done a study about the Sustainability of PVC

PVC is a preferred material in terms of quality, value and environmental safety. It helps others to reach their sustainability goals and is seen as a safe material providing convenience, comfort and high social value as well as having good sustainability credentials.

This has been achieved by leadership and commitment from the industry itself working with others in an open and honest way.

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A vision for twenty years ahead

External consulation

Draft set-up• Four stakeholder groups

– (1) The public– (2) Regulators / policy makers– (3) NGOs– (4) Key users (construction industry, retailers, electric

appliances/electronic equipment)– AND YOU

• Purpose– To lay out what this industry thinks are its priorities in terms of

sustainability– Get feedback and input

What about the next ten years?

• Building on the achievements of Vinyl 2010

• Ultimate goal: PVC in a sustainable society

• Principles

– Maintaining the voluntary approach

– Transparency

– Collaboration of the entire value chain

– Dialogue with stakeholders

– Economic sustainability (creation of quality label?)