The PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) is a material of synthetic origin (polymer), versatile, durable , corrosion resistant and recyclable.
It is the third most popular plastic product in the world, after polyethylene and polypropylene.
PVC is not only the most "effective" solution in terms of costs, but it is also the best choice for life cycle compared to other materials .
A study commissioned by ECVM (European council of vinyl manufacturers) , a division of Plastics Europe, the European association of plastics producers, which represents 100% of plastic producers in Europe, has brought out a surprising result. From the study that has been done, PVC proves to be a very good material ecological in terms of environmental impact throughout its life cycle, demonstrated in terms of Ger (energy demand) and Gwp (Global warming potential - greenhouse gas emissions).
Therefore presents advantages in terms of total energy consumption and CO2 emissions .
According to Dr. Patrick Moore, one of the founders of Greenpeace , ''the evidence of danger to human health has been rejected by the European Commission , by in-depth studies on polyvinyl and also by the Green Building Council of the United States, a group of activists in various fields, which have refuted the criticisms leveled at polyvinyl.”
Furthermore Moore argues that the other types of plastics are composed of 100% fossil fuels, while PVC is composed only of 50% fossil fuels, this percentage has a better impact on the global ecosystem .
As far as PVC is concerned, about 100% of the waste from its processing is reused , polyvinyl can reduce the energy requirement and consequently damage the environment to a lesser extent, compared to other plastics.
As we have previously said, PVC has a polymeric structure; well, thanks to this structure, PVC is a highly recyclable material.
There are two ways to recycle PVC: mechanical and raw material. Mechanical recycling involves grinding the discarded PVC to be processed into new PVC, whereas raw material recycling consists of disintegrating the PVC waste down to a molecular level, and then synthesizing it again.
In this way we are witnessing a safeguard of the environment from plastic pollution, as well as the creation of products that can be used in every possible context.
The simplicity of PVC recycling is given by the presence of one of its essential components, i.e. chlorine, which is easily recognized as a brand by the X-ray detectors that are used in automatic selection processes, and therefore allow it to be easily separated from the other plastics collected separately. After the separation process, the PVC is cleaned and purified of any contamination with other waste or the materials it has been bonded with, such as non-PVC labels and add-ons. Finally it is mechanically degraded into flakes or until it becomes powder, and is ready for a new use.
Perhaps not everyone knows that PVC is a material that is considered ecological , as this substance has little impact on the environment throughout its life cycle, from production to recycling. In fact, there is no risk that PVC may deteriorate and/or pollute the various layers of the soil, or in the phreatic state, as is often the case with other materials. In fact, the disposal of PVC in landfills does not pose environmental problems, thanks to the perfect stability and inertia of the material.
