European PVC industry: New 2030 sustainability programme

VinylPlus®, the Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry, brought together over 180 participants from 24 countries at the virtual VinylPlus Sustainability Forum (VSF) #CIRCULARVINYL in mid-October. The successful event showcased the united PVC industry’s major achievements and plans to build the new sustainability programme towards 2030.

Kirsi Ekroth-Manssila, Head of Unit at DG GROW, praised the “commitment and the proactive role” of VinylPlus in the Circular Plastics Alliance, stating, “VinylPlus is a perfect example of how to make the Circular Economy a reality, being the first value chain in 2001 to take on the challenge of transforming a problem into an opportunity. In addressing the environmental concerns of PVC, VinylPlus and the industry came up with an ambitious and forward-looking approach: to organise, cooperate and communicate with the whole value chain, from the producer to the downstream user and the waste manager.”

The event was not only a recognition of the PVC value chain’s achievements but an opportune moment to discuss and give feedback on the new 2030 sustainability programme, currently in development. The conversation built on an external stakeholder consultation carried out by Accenture on key sustainability drivers, and challenges and opportunities for the PVC industry to respond to over the next decade.