| What is PVC? |
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PVC makes life safer and more comfortable. It is used in areas as diverse as construction, automobiles, cabling, luxury goods and medical devices - to name just a few. Most PVC applications are long lasting - up to and over 60 years - thus making good use of raw materials and preventing unnecessary resource depletion. In technical terms, polyvinyl chloride - ‘PVC' - is a member of the ethylene family of polymers. In each of the three main areas of Sustainable Development - respecting the environment, promoting economic vitality and assisting social progress - PVC has a substantial role to play.
Made from salt (57%) and oil/gas (43%), PVC was first produced commercially in the late 1920's. Due to its characteristics of sustainability, flexibility, functionality and cost-efficiency, PVC is one of the most extensively used plastics in the world. Global demand for PVC exceeds 35 million tonnes per annum. Approximately 8 million tonnes of PVC products, with a market value of around €70 billion (including products for export), are produced within Europe each year, consuming some 6 million tonnes of PVC resin. In Europe the industry, from resin manufacturing to the production of final products, employs over half a million people at more than 21,000 firms.
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