PVC for consumer goods

PVC helps make our lives easier, safer, more convenient and more enjoyable. Products made from this versatile material offer a range of benefits to society and contribute to enhanced standards of living.

PVC is all around us. It is used in a diverse range of consumer goods from bags, bottles, toys and televisions, through to fashion, flooring, art and sports equipment. It plays an important role in our everyday lives.

New uses for PVC are being found all the time because of its versatility compared to other materials such as metal, wood and glass. A good example of how PVC can be substituted for other materials is found in the clothing industry, where it is increasingly being used as a substitute for leather. Not only are leather-like PVC coated fabrics cheaper to produce, but they also offer great flexibility to fashion designers. The overall effect is that stylish clothing from the catwalk can be brought to the high-street at an affordable price and without the environmental or ethical impacts sometimes associated with leather.

The advantages of PVC as a material for consumer products

PVC is an appropriate material for consumer goods because it is:

• easy to use and convert into many different forms

• strong and durable, but light weight

• waterproof and resistant to attack by chemicals

• relatively low energy demand in manufacture and longevity in service, making it a cost effective material in both economic and environmental terms

• an innovative material, enabling designers to improve products and create new ones

• cost competitive, allowing the production of good quality goods at a reasonable price

Many different types of consumer goods are made from PVC or contain PVC, including:

• Furniture - both rigid and flexible PVC are used to good effect in modern furniture design. Rigid PVC is used for light shades, handles and panels. Flexible PVC is used for coverings, floorings, inflatable couches and even inflatable chairs.

• Shoes - PVC is used in the soles and uppers of modern shoes. It provides a synthetic alternative to traditional leather in formal shoes, often allowing for more cost-effective production and innovative styles through its capacity to be moulded into shape. Modern sports shoes also make extensive use of PVC to provide shock absorbence, support and strength in demanding environments.

• Credit cards - PVC is the most common material for credit, debit and phone cards. It is tough, flexible, durable, cost effective to produce and easy to print on. As a thermoplastic, numbers can easily be imprinted on the cards with the application of heat.

• Clothing - the functional qualities of PVC make it a great material for protective clothing outdoors. It has long been the material of choice for children's rainwear, but is also put through more demanding tests through its use in protective work wear. At the other end of the clothing industry, PVC has played an important role in fashion design for many years. From its early applications in the 1960s, PVC has grown into one of the most fashionable materials to make a regular appearance in major fashion collections around the world.

• Sports equipment - it is not only sports shoes that utilise PVC. The material is also employed as coverings, coatings and components in sports equipment and clothing. It is used in sports ranging from football and rugby through to golf, sailing and fishing.

• Bags - the toughness and durability of PVC make it an excellent material from which to make bags and luggage. With many different colours and effects available, PVC provides the material for bags suitable for every environment, from the school playground to the beach.

PVC in consumer goods - a safety perspective

PVC not only provides a versatile and affordable material from which to produce consumer goods, but it is also:

• safe, non-toxic and inherently fire-retardant

• meets all international standards for health and safety

• has been used for more than half a century

• is the world's most researched and thoroughly tested plastic

• posing no health risks to consumers in use or disposal

PVC in consumer goods - an environmental perspective

Individuals and industries are aware of the need to act responsibly in protecting the world by applying the principles of sustainable development. This means acting in a way that does not limit the range of economic, social and environmental options available for future generations.  We have to use natural resources as effectively as possible in the production of consumer goods. PVC makes the most of valuable resources by using the minimum amount of raw materials and energy during manufacture and processing.

Today, PVC is lighter, stronger and more adaptable than ever before thanks to continuing technological innovation. This means that product for product, proportionally less of the world's oil and energy resources are being used with lower overall impact on the environment. INEOS ChlorVinyls is playing an active role in an industry that is endeavouring to pursue an integrated approach towards product stewardship and hence contributes to minimising any potential negative environmental impacts associated with each stage of the PVC lifecycle.

The industry has undertaken major initiatives in setting tough standards for production and developing improved solutions for the end of life management of its products. The environmental advantages of using PVC in consumer goods include:

• comparatively low energy and resource use in production and conversion

• PVC products are often lighter then those made from alternative materials, they therefore require less fuel and generate fewer emissions during transportation

• PVC products are durable, so frequent replacement is unnecessary

• as a thermoplastic, PVC can be recycled a number of times

• PVC can be safely incinerated, allowing energy recovery, or safely disposed of in landfill.