PVC, a sustainable material

As part of our commitment to society, we aim to maintain a dialogue with all our stakeholders and a climate of transparency with the residents living near to our plants. We involve them in our activities and tell them about what we are doing to preserve the local environment.

The other aspect of our contribution to society comes from the products we make. By using the exceptional properties of PVC to decrease energy consumption of housing or to support medical science, we can help to provide better access to a better environment and healthcare for all.

PVC helps to preserve natural resources because it combines an abundant raw material – salt – with one that is becoming scarcer – oil. Its longevity, lightness, strength, insulation and many other useful properties also help society to meet its needs.

A material of choice due to its wide range of properties
Stability	Chemical stability is a common feature among substances containing halogens such as chlorine and fluorine. This applies to PVC resins as well, which furthermore possess fire retarding properties, durability, and oil/chemical resistance.
Versatility	PVC is used in various fields ranging from essential services (water supply, sewage, supply of electric power, etc.), housing, transportation, consumer products, and electronics, to medical devices and products. The applications are generally divided on the basis of the hardness of products, e.g., rigid or flexible.
Fire protection	PVC has inherently superior fire retarding properties due to its chlorine content, even in the absence of fire retardants.
Longevity	Under normal conditions of use, the factor most strongly influencing the durability of a material is its resistance to oxidation by atmospheric oxygen. PVC, having the molecular structure where the chlorine atom is bound to every other carbon chain, is highly resistant to oxidative reactions, and maintains its performance for a long time.
Hygiene	PVC is the material of choice for many medical applications.
Energy recovery	PVC has high energy content; its incineration provides power and heat for homes and industries.
Protection	PVC can be made impervious to liquids, gases and vapors.
Resource efficiency	57% of PVC is made out of chlorine, which is derived from common salt that is abundant on earth. Therefore PVC contributes significantly to saving oil, which is a non renewable resource, in contrast to other plastics whose composition depends entirely on oil.
Recyclability	PVC is a material suitable for recycling. It has the longest history of recycling among plastics, and it is most advanced in mechanical recycling.
Public safety	PVC has been so highly scrutinized that it is now one of the best known materials in the world!