| Vinyl 2010 heading for success |
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The European PVC industry today released its latest annual Vinyl 2010 Progress Report at PVC 2008, Brighton. The report confirms that the European PVC industry is well on the way to meeting the targets set out in the Vinyl 2010 Voluntary Commitment for Sustainable Development.
In 2007, 149,500 tonnes of post-consumer PVC were recycled through Vinyl 2010 projects, an 80% increase on 2006 levels when 83,000 tonnes were recycled. The target for 2010 is 200,000 tonnes. In the two previous years (2005 and 2006), recycling doubled. This strong growth continued in 2007 as verified in the report by external auditors DNV and KPMG.
The Report also confirms that progressive replacement of lead stabilisers is also on track with a 34% reduction having been achieved between 2000 and 2007. One particular highlight from 2007 was an increase in stakeholder activities. The launch of the first Sustainable Development Essay Competition www.vinyl2010.org/essaycompetition led to young people submitting essays from across Europe and to Vinyl 2010 benefiting from the knowledge and expertise of its partners in the high-level Judging Panel.
Another new development in 2007 was the launch of the Vinyl Foundation, a funding mechanism developed in conjunction with EuPC for the converting industry to ensure adequate financial support is generated equitably across the industry so that Vinyl 2010 will be able to realise its full recycling potential.
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Professor Alfons Buekens, Chairman of the independent Monitoring Committee which oversees Vinyl 2010 to ensure transparency said he is optimistic about the 2010 targets being met. Referring to discussions which have already started about a new longer term sustainable development initiative for the industry, he added that "it is pleasing to see that the PVC industry recognises that this is just the beginning on the road to sustainability and is already looking beyond 2010".
