Document 5DzyprJLDokjQVGXNaNdMgjOJ

We're Glad You Asked . . . The Vinyf Institute (VI} is a trade association of the nation's leading manufacturers of vinyl Ipolyvmyl chloride or PVCf, vinyl feedstocks and additives and film and sheet products The VI was formed in 19B2 to promote and protect Ihe industry and iis riany markets The Vi sponsors scientific research to confirm tfie sale performance of vinyl products and monitors regulatory activity affecting the industry Marketing programs promoimg the use of vinyl are a key VI function What is Vinyl? Vinyl is composed of two simple building blocks chlorine, derived from common salt, and ethylene, from crude oil The resulting compound, ethylene dichloride, is converted at very high temperatures to vinyl chloride monomer <VCM) gas Tfvojgh the chemical reaction known as polymerization, VCM cecomes a chemically inert powder, polyvinyl chloride resin Vinyl's Performance Properties Because PVC resin can be combined with a multitude of additives and modifiers, vinyl is a product well-suited to a variety of needs and industries Vinyl ,s often selected over other materials because of its low cost, versatility and performance properties Vinyl is strong, durable, abrasion and rrpisture-resistant, impe'v'Ous to rust and corrosion, electrically non-conduct ive, and ignition-resistant Vinyl can be produced in almost any color, with end products ranging from opaque to crystal-dear Through a variety of extrusion, calendering and molding processes vinyl is used in products as rigid as pipe or as flexible as upholstery and food wrap Vinyl's Uses Vinyl is the world's second largest-selling plastic, with almost nine billion pounds sold m the U S alone in 1990 Vmy! has many uses m construction, including water prpe, house siding, gutters and downspouts, floor tile, electrical wire and cable insulation, window treatments and wall coverings Flexible vinyl film is a leading packaging material for wrapping meats and produce, and for tamper-proofing over-the-counter medications and food products Vinyl bottles store everything Irom peanut butler and cooking oil to shampoo and lighter fhjid. Vinyl is used in pans lor appliances and automobiles, in fiber optics and electronics, as well as consumer and institutional goods like shower curtains, window shades, garden hoses, footwear, credit cards and automobile parts In the field of medicine, vinyl meets the exacting standards required for blood bags, heart catheters, medical tubing and surgical gloves Vinyl and the Solid Waste Stream Currently, less than a half percent of the municipal waste stream by weight is composed of vinyl Under typical 6009lS18U compression conditions, it represents only 1.25% by volume. Less than 5% of all djscarded plastic packaging is vinyl bottles, blister packaging or flexible film Vinyl and Recycling Even after a useful lifespan of decades, vinyl products can be recycled into new applications lasting decades more. A current directory of vinyl recyclers is available from the Vinyl Institute At the industrial level, a significant amount of vinyl scrap -- coming from polymer manufacturers and plastic processors -- is collected and recycled Still in ns mlancy is post-consumer vinyl recycling While less than one-tenth of one percent of all post-consumer vinyl is recycled -- about five million pounds -- that amount is growing When large, single-use applications tsoda bottles and milk jugs) are set aside, recycle rates for vinyl are comparable with those plastics considered highly recyclable. The long-term outlook for vinyl recycling is good. In 19B9, the University of Toledo estimated demand for recycled vinyl at 494 million pounds -- about twice the current potential supply Sophisticated new scanning equipment such as that developed by National Recovery Technologies can now separate vinyl from the waste stream for recycling using its unique chemical composition as an identifier. Vinyl's Recycled Uses The University of Toledo study identified nearly 100 potential uses for recycled post-consumer PVC Some of the leading products to date are bottles, floor mats, bleacher covers, flower pot covers and irrigation pipe Vinyl end the Environment Conservation of natural resources. Vinyl is less dependent on petrochemicals than any other plastic in use. Only 43% of vinyl's raw material comes from crude oil. A recent study by the West German Society for Packaging Research found that displacing vinyl packaging would increase the total weight of packaging by 10% and the energy needed to produce alternatives by at least 40% Incineration. Vinyl can be safely incinerated in a state-of-the-art facility, according to a study by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority at a full-scale incinerator Vinyl incineration is not responsible for an increase in dioxin emissions. Operating conditions, particularly bum temperatures, rather than the composition of the garbage burned, most influence the level of emissions. Incinerators properly equipped with portion scrubbers will remove over 99% of acid gases produced, including hydrogen chloride. B&S150310 When recycling vinyl is not feasible, its high energy value, which is midway between that of wood and coal, can be recovered via incineration and converted to steam or electricity Landfilling. Where neither recycling nor incineration of the vinyl product is practical, vinyl can be safely landfilled Vinyl products are chemically inert and stable, and do not leach contaminants into groundwater In fact, landfill liners are often made of vmyl * Chlorine. Vinyl won't harm the atmosphere Once chlorine is processed into PVC, free chlorine gas cannot be liberated from the product Vinyl products either incinerated or landfilled do not release chlorine gas into the atmosphere. There is no known connection between the depletion of the ozone layer and vinyl products Vinyl and Health Worker health hazards due to prolonged high exposure to VCM were discovered in the iate 1970'sbut new manufacturing technology has resolved those problems. Vinyl production facilities are regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and ail emissions are regulated by the Li S Environmental Protection Agency and reported under state and federal law, There has been a 95% reduction in VCM emissions nationally over the last 20 years. There is virtually no residual VCM in fabricated products, furthermore, vinyi products coming in contact with food and drinking water must meet stringent federal regulations Vinyl and Fire Vinyl products are inherently flame-retardant due to their chlorine composition, do not readily ignite, and will not continue to burn once a flame or heat source is removed Unlike metal tubing, vinyl conduit will not arc or short, thereby reducing the hazard of fires in electrical uses Vinyl combustion products are not more hazardous than those produced by many other common materials, both natural and synthetic. When it burns, vinyl does release hydrogen chloride IHCl), but studies have shown that HC) does not incapacitate or become dangerous until it reaches concentrations much higher than those measured in real fires For more information on vinyl issues, call the Vi's Vinyl Environmental Resource Center at (800) 969-VINYL, or write. The Vinyl Institute, a division of The Society of the Plastics Industry. Inc. Wayne Interchange Plaza II 155 Route 46 West Wayne, NJ 07470 * (2011890-9299