Polivinyl Chloride and Environment
PRODUCTS BASED ON POLIVINYL CHLORIDE MAY BE INCLUDED IN THE GROUP OF ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN FRIENDLY MATERIALS
The following questions are frequently asked by the PVC products users:
- is the material used harmless for living organisms?
- can polivinyl chloride waste be stored?
- how to get rid of such waste?
- How do we do it in ERGIS-EUROFILMS?
Polivinyl Chloride and Environment
PVC products have been with us for decades. Their properties make them useful for many years. The reasons why clients choose PVC products are their durability, low price, and preservation of properties. PVC, as the basic component of products, compares well with other plastics in production, use, and utilisation.
PVC products feature a much longer product life than other plastics. That is why there are three basic policies for PVC waste management and utilisation.
Deposition at landfills:
Independent results of studies (1) of long-term behaviour of PVC waste deposited in landfills were published in 1999 by waste management experts from leading German and Swedish universities. The research monitored the degradation cycle at a typical landfill, using laboratory simulations and analysis of leachate samples from various European landfills. The research proved that deposition of PVC waste does not pose a threat to the environment.
(1) - "LONG-TERM BEHAVIOUR OF PVC PRODUCTS UNDER SOIL-BURIED AND LANDFILL CONDITIONS" published by the Technical University of Hamburg, Harburg, Germany, and Linköping University, Sweden. 2nd revised edition, July 1999.
Mechanical recovery of waste: Mechanical recovery of PVC waste depends to a greater extent on the application for which PVC is used than on the materials themselves. There are practical criteria, as e.g. cost efficiency of sorting and potential for storage of waste, which must be met before mechanical recovery begins. Nevertheless, mechanical recovery has become a reality for many applications of PVC. Its popularity hinges on the capacity to gather huge amounts of sorted recyclable waste material.
How do we do it at ERGIS-EUROFILMS? Our company recycles PVC waste by mechanical milling at low temperatures. This allows the management of own waste as well as the waste produced by our partners.
Incineration:
According to American data (Joint Research Report by Energy Research and Development - New York State, USA 1987) dioxin emissions during the incineration of municipal waste and other waste products range from: 14-36 ng/N cu. m. for municipal waste containing no PVC; 19-34 ng/N cu. m. for municipal waste containing PVC.
This shows that dioxin emission depends on the incineration process itself and does not depend on the presence of PVC in waste. In the EU member states, waste utilisation by incineration at special incineration plants is officially recognised an ecologically correct and healthy method of utilising waste, including PVC waste. This is the most expensive method of PVC waste utilisation, calling for specialised equipment and technologies.
