GreenSage E-zine 05/2008

Correct Building Products Urges Industry to Adopt Sustainable, PVC Labeling Standard

Correct Building Products, makers of PVC-free CorrectDeck CX composite decking, is urging the PVC industry to take a more environmentally-responsible role in recycling and reuse of their products.

Martin Grohman, founder and chairman of Correct Building Products, says, "Vinyl has long been considered a good material for building products because it is versatile, reasonably priced and durable. Traditions were built around PVC before there were good alternatives to it and at a time when environmental concerns were not as developed."

Grohman argues that times have changed and in some segments of the industry, there are better, more sustainable options than PVC Vinyl. For those applications where PVC Vinyl is still the material of choice, he suggests that manufacturers label their product with its resource content, and actively promote recycling programs.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride), commonly referred to as vinyl, is in widespread use in the construction industry. Seventy percent of PVC sold in the United States is used to manufacture building products and is commonly used for siding, drain waste and vent pipe, electrical conduit, trimboards and flooring.

An informal industry study indicates that there is very strong demand for recycled PVC, but the recycling infrastructure simply does not exist. Many contractors inappropriately dispose of PVC every day in the demolition phase of remodeling because they have no other option. Many new home builders burn scrap at the job site, which often contains PVC Vinyl cutoffs from trim, windows, pipe and siding.

"I suggest that the PVC industry and the Vinyl Institute address these two trends actively before regulation forces their hand. This will help preserve the usage of PVC for the application areas where it is the material of choice," Grohman added.

Currently, there is no system for labeling, collecting and recycling these PVC building products at the end of their long lifespan. PVC carries the #3 SPI symbol, but the label is rarely used outside of consumer goods, of which there are very few made of PVC Vinyl. PVC will not blend with common plastics like polyethylene or polypropylene in existing recycling programs; if even a small amount of PVC makes it into a recycling system with other plastics, it can contaminate it.

When it comes to developing an industry-wide standard for the PVC lifecycle, Europe is setting the pace. Through its Vinyl 2010 program, the European PVC industry plans to recycle 200,000 tons of post-consumer PVC waste a year by 2010; establish a research and development program on new recycling and recovery technologies; and implement a charter to develop social dialogue, training, health, safety and environmental standards. However, it is worth noting that the European PVC industry did not come to this stance without the threat of very significant regulation and possible phase-out pressure.

Grohman would like to see the U.S. industry adopt similar measures. "The first step is to begin marking all vinyl products with their resource content. For example, when you remove vinyl siding, you should be able to look at the back of it, see that it contains PVC, and know that it has to be processed separately. Many processors of PVC products like electrical conduit or linoleum would be delighted to have this recycled siding, and printing the resource content on all PVC Vinyl products could dramatically increase recycling rates."

If PVC is burned inappropriately, harmful chlorine-based chemicals called dioxins may be released into the environment. Additives used in PVC, such as lead and cadmium are also released during incineration. Because most construction waste is incinerated, PVC should be carefully separated from other waste and properly recycled or managed. This is similar to the way asphalt shingles or treated wood are handled. Burning jobsite scrap in general is a bad idea, and particularly so for PVC.

"There is a place for PVC in the building industry, but both PVC manufacturers and end-users must do their part to make sure it is used and reused safely and in a sustainable way. This is an important part of the green building movement and essential in protecting human health and the environment," noted Grohman.

The Correct Building Products product line has been completely free of PVC since Grohman co-founded the company in 1999. Its sustainable building products, including CorrectDeck CX and CorrectPorch, are manufactured using a blend of recycled hardwood sawdust and polypropylene. The resource content, 60 percent wood and 40 percent polypropylene, is marked on every three feet of each board to facilitate future recycling. The company also accepts its own product and competitors' composites at their plant and nearby dealer locations for recycling.

Correct Building Products is part of a growing group of global companies that have eliminated or are phasing out PVC products. According to the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, these companies include Bath and Body Works, Honda, Ikea, Johnson and Johnson, L.L. Bean, Microsoft, Nike, Sears, Target, Toyota, Victoria's Secret, Steelcase, Herman Miller, GM for all car interiors, and Wal-Mart. Unless the PVC industry takes action, Toll Brothers or KB Homes could be next on this list.

About Correct Building Products:
Correct Building Products, LLC (CBP) was founded in 1999 with the goal of producing technologically superior, sustainable, attractive and durable outdoor building products, such as CorrectDeck and CorrectDeck CX decking, RapidRail railing and CorrectPorch tongue and groove flooring. The company has grown quickly due to its focus on delivering high value, desirable aesthetics and unbeatable durability and performance in building products for outdoor living.

The company was twice listed on Inc.'s 500 fastest growing companies and continues to grow while maintaining environmentally-sustainable practices. Correct is a two-time winner of the (Maine) Governor's Waste Reduction Award and participant in the state's Carbon Challenge to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions.