African support for the development of sustainable PVC

African support for the development… Southern African Vinyl Association (SAVA) consisting of 24 members has signed of the Product Stewardship Programme (PSP); the programme launched by Aystralian PVC industry in 2002 to focus on rsponsible and sustainable use of PCV.

The Product Stewardship Programme is based on 5 foundamnetal rules:
  • A commitment to the responsible and sustainable use of additives, including (but not limited to) stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments and Bisphenol A.
  • A commitment to the responsible and sustainable Vinyl recycle program that quantifies the opportunity for recycling in post-production and post consumer waste and sets realistic and sustainable goals.
  • Ensuring open and effective communication with industry role players, the public and government in order to correct perceptions about the science, reality and local applicability of PVC.
  • Ensuring industry 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.

  • “PVC has in recent years received a bad rap from environmentalists, the public and the media who are, in many cases, unaware of the hard work being done behind the scenes to ensure that vinyls are environmentally safe and sustainable”, explains Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of SAVA. “SAVA aims 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 (...)Our main purpose is to represent our members’ interests in the Southern Africa region by creating consumer confidence within the industry and to develop and sustain markets for the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) business.”

    To implement this abmitious project, SAVA cooperates and exhachnges knowledge and good practices with the Australian Vinyls Council, The Global Vinyls Council, VinylPlus and other world organisations. Additionally SAVA sets realistic timeframes and goals for the delivery of key undertakings in the production and storage, the safe and sustainable use of these additives, waste management thereof, and research and public reporting.

    “SAVA is ideally positioned within the local plastics industry and has representation on the Recovery Action Group (RAG), the Packaging Council of South Africa (PACSA) and the Plastics SA Sustainability Council. It is our goal to ensure that our members are represented on a broader platform and we are confident that we will be able to create an even bigger impact and reach within in our industry as we strive to double our membership by the end of 2012”, Bezuidenhout declares.

    More information on the Product Stewardship Programme are available at: http://www.vinyl.org.au/

    The Product Stewardship Programme is one of the few to pay attention to the role of PVC, other examples include activity of VinylPlus and its creative vinyl game