Even if Occidental could make PVC and release less toxic air emissions per year, Occidental’s process is part a product, that when used and disposed of, creates severe environmental and health problems.

PVC products create dioxins when burned, leach toxic additives during use, and are the least recyclable of all major plastics.

• Because of these and other reasons, a number of organizations have called for a PVC phase out:
  • American Public Health Association
  • International Association of Firefighters (IAFF)
  • Association of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers – Declared PVC a contaminant to plastics recycling

• Numerous businesses have either eliminated or begun working towards a PVC phase-out in their products and facilities:
  
  • Nike
    
  • Volvo
    
  • Saab
    
  • Braun
    
  • Ikea
    
  • The Body Shop

Strategic Goals:
1. Market-based campaign to eliminate PVC building materials
2. Right-To-Know or labeling laws for PVC products
3. PVC-free procurement policies

Rationale

• Throughout its lifecycle, PVC plastic is likely the largest material source of dioxin to the global environment. Related efforts and support for the PVC phase-out are evident from the Dioxin Reassessment, the POP’s treaty negotiations, and the environmental justice struggles in Louisiana.
• Success of anti-PVC market based campaigns have already influenced many major companies such as Mattel, Baxter, Ikea, Nike, and the auto industry.
• Building Materials account for more than 70% of all PVC usage. The green building movement is one of the fastest growing aspects of the environmental movement.
• The extreme potency, global nature, and disproportionate hazardous impacts of dioxin relating to production, use, and disposal of PVC have already influenced many in the building and construction industry to plan for and phase out use of PVC. Example: Sydney Olympics and PVC-free commitments from large corporations
• There is hardly a building materials and construction company that does not at least pay lip service to being green. Leaders in the field, like Home Depot and others, have made public commitments to change their wood purchasing practices under pressure from activist groups. Their procurement policies effectively change production practices.
• Leading professionals in the building industry are in the process of developing a common description and set of standards that will define green buildings and expose green-washing.

PVC compares unfavorably with other building materials in:
1. Air Quality
2. Embodied Energy
3. Recyclability
4. Lifecycle Toxicity Impacts

Building Materials - PVC Phase-Out – Campaign Goals PVC-Free Greenbuilding Standards

• High Profile PVC Free Buildings
• PVC Phase-Out Commitment from Leading Material Manufacturers Flooring and Roofing companies will be identified as PVC or Non-PVC companies – Companies who falsely identify their products as Non-PVC will be identified and vulnerable to an expose for greenwashing and double standards.