PVC gets the nod for energy efficient buildings

MIDRAND, South Africa - July 10, 2013 - PRLog -- The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) has announced that it will be using its presence at this year’s annual Green Building Expo to promote and encourage the use of PVC in energy efficient buildings. The sixth annual Green Building Council SA Convention and Exhibition will be taking place at CTICC from 16-18 October 2013.

PVC was first produced in a laboratory in 1872. It began to be produced commercially in the 1930s, when techniques for mixing it with plasticizers became known and PVC emerged as a substitute for rubber. During World War II, German scientists developed PVC pipe for water supply systems when material shortages limited conventional pipe supplies.  “Today, PVC is by far the most common plastic used in the building and construction industries and has a wide range of applications, ranging from use in pipes to wire sheathing, flooring and weather-stripping”, says SAVA Chief Executive Officer, Delanie Bezuidenhout.  

While some vinyl products such as siding and flooring have recently been criticized by builders or architects questioning the wisdom of specifying materials made from PVC, SAVA will be using this year’s GBCSA theme of “ReWire”, to set the record straight and assist these specifiers to make intelligent choices.  “We want to change people’s negative perceptions about PVC by educating visitors to the convention and exhibition about the energy efficiency of vinyls in building and construction,” Delanie she says.

PVC has been in wide scale use for more than 50 years. It meets international standards for safety and health for the applications for which it is used, as well as the SANS 10400 guidelines for energy efficient buildings as prescribed by the SABS.

SAVA was recently instrumental in the Green Building Council of SA’s decision to withdraw the Mat-7 PVC Minimisation credit from the Green Star SA rating system which encouraged  its replacement  with an alternative product.  According to Delanie, this was a major step forward in SAVA efforts to promote PVC as a responsible and sustainable material with wide areas of application.    

“Our members have all voluntarily committed themselves to the industry’s Product Stewardship Programme (PSP),  This forms the cornerstone of SAVA efforts as we aim to raise awareness of the good qualities of PVC by assisting its members, relevant authorities and experts to understand, characterize and address product stewardship issues association with the life cycle of PVC products,” she explains.

The PSP consists of five fundamental key areas, namely:

·         The responsible and sustainable use of additives, including (but not limited to) stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments and Bisphenol A.

·         The responsible and sustainable vinyl recycling program that quantifies the opportunity for recycling in post-production and post-consumer waste and sets realistic and sustainable goals.

·         Open and effective communication with industry role players, the public and government in order to ensure that PVC is used effectively and cost effectively.

·         Ensuring the industry’s health through product, market and application opportunities, thereby improving human capital and overall growth, prosperity and sustainability of the vinyl industry.

·         Ensuring a fully functional industry initiative that adds value to both members and the industry by growing a sustainable membership base with an effective marketing plan.

Thanks to its light weight, high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, durability, low cost, and easy installation, PVC hold various benefits for the building and construction industry.  “The use of PVC in windows profile, for example, results in lower maintenance requirements—it does not need to be painted or stained as is the case with wood.  From an environmental standpoint, vinyl offers advantages of avoided air pollution that results from painting or staining wood and hardboard siding. It is less energy intensive than aluminum, can be recycled and offers a durability that is hard to match by alternative materials”, Delanie concludes.

For more information, visit the SAVA at the Green Building Council’s Expo at stand 33-34,

or on their website at www.savinyls.co.za

ENDS

Notes to the editor:

·         The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) is the representative body of the Southern African vinyl industry. SAVA is ideally positioned within the local plastics industry with representation on the Recovery Action Group (RAG), the Packaging Council of South Africa (PACSA) and the Plastics SA Sustainability Council to ensure that its members are represented on a broader platform. SAVA also participates in knowledge transfer activities with the Australian Vinyls Council, The Global Vinyls Council, Vinyls Plus and other international organisations.

·         SAVA members include: Aberdare Cables, Alpha Plast, Arengo Plastics, Associated Additives, Belgotex, Capcorv Recycling, Capital Polymer Additives, Carst & Walker, CBI Electric Aberdare ATC Telecom Cables, Campine (BE), Cibapac, Continental Compounders, DPI Plastics, Elco Plastics, Engen Petroleum, Floorworx, Isegen, Marley Pipe Systems, Mpact Plastics, NCP Chlorchem, Neptun Boot, Polyflor SA, Potch Plastics, REHAU Polymer, SAPPMA, SASOL Polymers Chlor Vinyls, Scinergy Chemicals, Southern Profiles, Sun Ace SA

Contact information:

Delanie Bezuidenhout

SAVA

Tel: 082 444 6866

Delanie@savinyls.co.za

Monique Holtzhausen

Aim Marketing & Communications Consultants

Tel: 021 531 0313 / 071 083 5219

Monique@AimMarketing.co.za