New products from old – expanding the PVC lifecycle
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PVC’s unique characteristics and versatility makes it quite unlike other polymers in use in Australia. Over 90% of the PVC consumed in Australia is used in long-life applications such as pipe, flooring and cable applications. Only a small proportion of PVC is used in packaging and short-term (<1 year life) applications. Most plastics recycling in Australia is focused on packaging where kerbside collection schemes and infrastructure exist to recover household waste.
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Consumption of resin for Durable vs Packaging applications by polymer
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Source: PACIA National Plastics Recycling Survey 2004
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Recycling volumes of PVC are relatively low currently because much of the PVC is still in use in our infrastructure and buildings. The average weighted life time use of PVC products is 37 years, according to a study done in 2005 on PVC waste generation by Nolan ITU for the Vinyl Council of Australia. The same study showed PVC waste accounts for less than 1% of all waste going to landfill every year in Australia.
Nevertheless, many PVC applications can and are recycled in Australia as the table shows.
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| | Post-consumer recycled bottles
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| Commercial floor coverings storm water pipe and fittings
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| Floor installation off cuts
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| Commercial floor coverings
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| Post-industrial rigid sheet or other rigid product waste
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| Stormwater pipe and fittings
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| Post-industrial rigid scrap or construction waste
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| | Post-industrial rigid scrap and end-of-life PVC pipe
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| | | Industrial hoses and hose cores, some consumer-based hoses, bollards, street bumps, shoes, mud flaps
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| Thermoformed packaging trim
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| Packing trays, pipes, flooring
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For more information on recycling PVC sourced from a variety of applications, visit the Vinyl Council of Australia website at www.vinyl.org.au or call the Council on 03 9368 4857.
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