Alternatives to PVC used throughout the Sydney Olympic Village.
Initiatives |
Selected PVC use alternatives |
Alternatives |
Pipes and ducts |
Electrical cables & wiring |
Flooring |
Windows |
PVC-Free Packaging |
Toys |
Other PVC products |
PVC alternatives database
PVC free initiatives
Many governments, local authorities, businesses and various other
organisations have agreed to restrict or phase out PVC and chlorine
to varying degrees.
This demonstrates the feasibility of replacing chlorine and PVC
with cleaner alternatives and shows that this is actually occurring
in a large number of countries and businesses.
For more information see the full report on PVC-Free Future - A
Review of Restrictions and PVC-free Policies Worldwide. This lists
specific actions taken by national and local governments and other
organisations to restrict chlorine and PVC. It also identifies
companies that have taken action to phase out the PVC use. The
report gives details about many international agreements on the
elimination and reduction of hazardous substances, in particular
organochlorines.
Over the years there have been a number of international
agreements on hazardous substances, especially organochlorines. The
most notable of recent times is the OSPAR (Oslo - Paris) agreement
to 'move towards the target of cessation of discharges emissions
and losses of hazardous substances by the year 2020', which is
known as the 'generational goal'. Fourteen countries discharging
into the North East Atlantic, and the EU made this agreement.
Selected PVC use alternatives
For virtually all PVC applications, safer alternatives exist. It is
possible to use more sustainable, traditional materials, such as
paper, wood or local materials.
PVC can also be replaced by a variety of other, less
environmentally damaging plastics. However, most plastics pose some
risk to the environment and contribute to the global waste
crisis.
Alternatives are available on the market for the vast majority
of all PVC uses.
Construction applications, such as pipes, fittings, sidings, and
window profiles, account for over 50 percent of PVC consumption.
Other PVC uses include furniture, wall and floor coverings,
automobiles, electronic equipment, wire and cable coatings,
packaging, and medical devices.
The most appropriate substitute depends upon the qualities
required for each PVC application.
Alternatives
Window profiles - Wood
Pipes - Concrete, steel, galvanized iron, copper, clay,
chlorine-free plastics, including high-density polyethylene (PE),
polypropylene (PP) and polyisobutylene.
Flooring - Linoleum, wood, stone, rubber, PE and PP.
Cable coatings - PE, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer (EVA);
polyamide, silicone, and other thermoplastic elastomers.
Packaging - No packaging at all, glass, paper and cardboard, PP,
PE, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Wall coverings - Paint, tiles, paper-based wallpaper.
Roof-sheeting - Synthetic rubber, polyolefin sheeting,
traditional materials made from tar, wood, and other materials.
Gutters - Galvanised iron.
Shutters and blinds - Wood and chlorine-free plastics.
Furniture - Wood, metal, textiles, leather, and chlorine-free
plastics such as butadiene-polyamide copolymer.
Office supplies - Metal, wood, PP, PE.
Automobiles - Metal, textiles, chlorine-free plastics, including
polyolefins.
Medical uses - Glass, latex, chlorine-free plastics including
PP, PE, PET, EVA, polybutylene terepthalate, block copolymers, and
silicones.
PVC free pipes and ducts
One of the largest uses of unplasticised PVC (u-PVC) is in rigid
pipes for above ground and underground drainage, electrical cables
and gas pipes.
For underground sewage or water pipes vitrified clay pipes are
suitable and are very durable. The expected service life of a clay
pipe is commonly given as 100 years. Clay pipes also have a high
resistance to chemicals in wastewater.
Alternative materials to PVC in sewage pipes may perform better
over time. The city of Nyborg in Denmark reported that the PVC main
sewage pipe had become extremely brittle and required frequent
replacement. In the UK, Anglian Water specifies polyethylene or
ductile iron pipes in their mains renovation programme. Neither do
they allow developers to use PVC pipe in new sewage schemes for
engineering reasons. HDPE pipes are more flexible and shock
resistant.
For above ground drainage, such as soil and vent pipes and
guttering, materials such as zinc, cast iron, copper, galvanized
steel or aluminium can be used as an alternative. Metal guttering
has a longer service life although it may require some maintenance.
A new urban development in Leidsche Rijn (near Utrecht) in the
Netherlands, which will provide over 30,000 new- built houses and
700,000 m2 of office space, is minimising the use of PVC. In
particular the water and sewerage system will be PVC free. Some of
the first stages of the housing project have already been
built.
The UK gas industry now only uses medium density polyethylene
(MDPE) pipe because it is more flexible than PVC pipe.
PVC free electrical cables and wiring
All the alternative cable types have better properties than PVC in
the event of a fire. They generate less smoke, do not release
hydrochloric acid or dioxins and have fire-resistant qualities that
match or outstrip PVC. All PVC-free cables cost more at present but
will drop in price as consumers and municipalities demand safer
material use.
Use of PVC free electrical cables is growing, particularly in
the transportation sector, where safety is critical. Many
underground railway systems in the US and Europe use PVC free
cables (also known as low-smoke, zero-halogen or LSOH cables).
Vienna, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Bilbao and London all avoid PVC cables
underground. Similarly, Eurotunnel, Deutche Bahn, P&O Cruises
and the US Navy all specify PVC free cables.
Electrical cables manufacturers have already developed and
marketed several halogen-free alternatives to PVC cable, as a
result of concern over PVC combustion emissions. When cable is
designated halogen-free this means it cannot contain PVC or any
other organochlorine based chemicals.
The main alternative power cables, in the high and medium
voltage range, use polyethylene as an insulation and sheathing
material. Rubber sheathed cables are also available. For low
voltage uses such as domestic wiring, the alternatives are
polyethylene or rubber insulated halogen free cables.
PVC free flooring
Alternatives to PVC flooring are easy to find, are competitively
priced and perform as well as, if not better than PVC.
Natural materials - Ceramic tiles and marble are highly durable.
Stone and terrazos are also traditionally, durable materials. When
a softer floor surface is required, wood, cork and linoleum can be
used. Cork is indigenous to the Mediterranean region. It is hard
wearing, very sound absorbent and popular because it is agreeable
to walk on due to reflection of warmth and it's natural bounce.
Cork floor coverings are available with untreated or sealed
surfaces. Types which are sealed with artificial resins
(polyurethane) or PVC should be avoided.
Wood - A natural alternative to PVC flooring which is very
durable and can be renovated by planing or sanding. Increasingly,
reclaimed wood floors are available. When using new wood it is
important to source wood from certified forests where clear-cutting
and other environmentally damaging practises are banned.
Linoleum - Once the dominant material in the market for elastic
floorings, before the 50's trend for synthetic materials. Linoleum
is made of renewable materials and consists mainly of vegetable
linseed oil where a natural resin is added. The mixture is spread
on hessian fabric and the surface treated with water-based acrylic
'dispersion' paint. Linoleum has very low flammability, is
antistatic, light resistant, sound absorbent, and resistant to fats
and oils and has a natural antibacterial effect.
Renovation - Cork and wooden flooring can be renovated and for
that reason, these floorings have a longer durability, which often
justifies the higher costs of fitting. Linoleum can also be
partially renovated to repair normal wear and tear.
Synthetic materials for special cases could be rubber and other
polymers.
Rubber - Several companies produce rubber floor coverings, which
have proven effective in situations where floor coverings must be
very durable, such as airports and sports stadiums. Rubber flooring
that contains chlorine-based ingredients should be avoided. The
Danish EPA recommends Ethylene propylene diene (EPDM) rubber as an
alternative to PVC.
Other polymers - Polyolefin floor coverings (PP and PE) are now
offered by leading flooring manufacturers such as the German
company DLW and the British company Amtico. The main application
for polyolefin flooring is for industrial use, however, flooring
for domestic use is also available. These floorings are
non-flammable, sound absorbent and resistant to wear and tear.
PVC free windows
Despite the claims made for u-PVC windows (unplasticised PVC),
wooden window frames have advantages over PVC. U-PVC windows do
degrade, they are not maintenance free and worst of all they cannot
be repaired where necessary.
Developments in timber window design and finishing products
means that modern, high performance timber windows need minimal
maintenance and potentially have a significantly longer life than
u-PVC.
High performance, double-glazed, timber windows need not cost
more than u-PVC equivalents. In the UK, the National Housing
Federation and some local authorities have found u-PVC window
frames to be more expensive in terms of initial capital cost and
more expensive or equal to timber over the lifetime of the
windows.
A new chemical-free preservative that transforms non-durable
wood (poplar, spruce, eucalyptus) into a hardwood quality type of
product, has won a recent environmental technology award in the
Netherlands. The process involves 'scientifically cooking and
baking' the wood fibres allowing mechanical properties to be
maintained or even improved. The wood can also be moulded.
Reclaimed wood or local timbers can be used. In general wooden
windows can last over 50 years and even after that time be
renovated. Where PVC windows have to be totally replaced after 20 -
25 years.
Look out for sustainable timber
Timber is repairable, adaptable and durable. From well managed
sources it is a sustainable, environmentally friendly resource.
Independent certification by the Forestry Stewardship Council,
should be sought as proof of acceptable forestry practices. As long
as care is also taken in the choice of preservatives, paints and
stains, timber windows are the best environmental choice.
Polyolefins
In Berlin, where PVC restrictions on building are in force, new
polyolefin windows from a German company Helling were installed by
the City Council in May 1996. In Austria, leading PVC window
manufacturing company, Internorm, announced that they are
developing a VC/chlorine-free plastic window frame.
PVC free packaging
Duing the past years, PVC use in packaging is declining within
the EU, albeit at different rates. This is as a result of the
ongoing public and scientific PVC debate as well as the
developments in non-PVC plastics such as PET and PP.
The German government's position is that halogen-free plastic
packaging is more environmentally friendly than chlorine containing
plastics such as PVC, because of the disposal problems linked to
chlorine materials (particularly incineration).
Many major European supermarket chains such as SPAR, BILLA, ADEG
(Austria), IRMA (Denmark), TENGELMANN (Germany), Ica, Konsum and
other Swedish supermarket chains, have totally eliminated PVC food
packaging.
Others are in the process of phasing it out. For example
Waitrose (UK) Migros and Co-op (Switzerland). In Japan, Ito-Yokade
Co and many other supermarkets and convenience stores are
eliminating PVC wrapping. Many big water bottling companies, such
as all of the Nestlé owned brands, have phased out PVC water
bottles. Also non-food retailers such as The Body Shop (cosmetics)
and IKEA (furniture) have long ago eliminated PVC packaging.
PVC free toys
PVC is just one of many materials used to produce toys. In addition
to natural materials such as textiles, non-PVC products with
similar properties such as natural rubber (latex) or
polypropylene/polyethylenes are widely used as an alternative to
soft PVC toys, such as teethers or squeezable animals, for babies.
For rigid toys, a plastic alternative for PVC would be
polyolefines, but natural materials such as wood, also make good
toys.
A big advantage of non-PVC soft toys is that they are free of
plasticiser additives, which leach out of the toys. The documented
leaching rates of phthalate plasticisers from PVC baby toys are
alarmingly high.
Other PVC products
Fashion wear and furnishings
PVC, or imitation leather, is increasingly used in fashion and
furnishings. Plant based natural materials such as organic cotton,
sisal, jute and hemp fabrics have less of an ecological footprint,
particularly if grown organically.
Similarly, bamboo, wood and other renewable materials are
preferable. Non-chlorinated plastics are preferable to PVC but have
their own ecological problems.
Disposable PVC Products
PVC plastic is used in a lot of short-life, disposable products.
These items include inflatable and children's toys, belts, bags,
food packaging, water bottles, cosmetic packaging, office equipment
such as filing trays, pens, and a myriad of other things. It is
difficult to tell PVC (number 3 label) from other plastics. Check
before you buy any plastic product, ask the retailer for PVC-free
products and seek renewable alternative materials.
PVC alternatives database
All the information the PVC industry doesn't want you to
have!
This international database can help anyone who wants
to track down alternatives to PVC products. From do-it-yourself
enthusiastics to construction companies, you'll find this an easy
way to source alternatives to toxic PVCs.
Many products are distributed worldwide, and the database is
easy to use. You can search by product, company, or country.