What They Say About Us

“What are some of the commendable actions on the ground from the private sector, particularly VinylPlus? You have created an excellent pre-competitive space for industry on circularity, which we usually point to when we talk with other stakeholders.
The voluntary R&D supported by the value-chain actors and your Commitment for 2030 are very valuable, as are your efforts to exchange experiences and information globally.”

“The European PVC industry, through VinylPlus, has a role to play in the largescale renovation efforts that were identified by the European Commission as key areas for investment thanks to their potential to improve the environmental footprint of buildings across the EU and to create jobs”

“Sustainability is no longer a topic for Sunday speeches but offers competitive advantages. As architects, we are increasingly being urged by developers to only install certified sustainable products, because their end customers are international investment funds that only include sustainable buildings in their funds based on their ESG criteria. The VinylPlus® Product Label, as the first sustainability label for plastics recognized by BREEAM, qualifies PVC windows for use in sustainable buildings, securing market opportunities.

“VinylPlus is a perfect example of how to make the Circular Economy a reality, being the first value chain in 2000 to take on the challenge of transforming a problem into an opportunity. In addressing the environmental concerns of PVC, VinylPlus and the industry came up with an ambitious and forward-looking approach: to organise, cooperate and communicate with the whole value chain, from the producer to the downstream user and the waste manager.
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“VinylPlus is a perfect example of how to make the Circular Economy a reality, being the first value chain in 2000 to take on the challenge of transforming a problem into an opportunity. In addressing the environmental concerns of PVC, VinylPlus and the industry came up with an ambitious and forward-looking approach: to organise, cooperate and communicate with the whole value chain, from the producer to the downstream user and the waste manager.
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“Obvious progress has been made in terms of product stewardship, the elimination of problematic additives, the development of best practices, research into innovative technologies and improvement of the environmental footprint of PVC. Now, we must all commit to working hard on the new programme VinylPlus is developing. I look forward to a new decade of progress towards sustainability.
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“Evolution towards sustainable development requires a change of mindset. I often find myself using VinylPlus as an example of a voluntary commitment to sustainable development from industry that works. Only through cooperation with businesses and industry can politicians make informed decisions.”

“The underpinning value of the combined social, economic and environmental pillars is vital; sustainable development is about more than durability. VinylPlus is a good case of a holistic approach to these underpinning values.”

“An effective voluntary commitment is not an easy option. It takes time, motivation, and dedication from the entire value chain. The commitment should encompass clear objectives with ambitious, measurable targets and deadlines. VinylPlus®, the Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry, is a good example of this approach. As a member of the VinylPlus Monitoring Committee I have seen for myself that self-regulation can be extremely effective.
The European Union has embraced the circular economy and its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Effective voluntary commitments, in combination with ambitious policy, should drive this project. There can be no better way of creating a fully-functioning, sustainable and circular economy than by bringing together everyone who will make this happen. VinylPlus rightfully positions the circular economy as a unique opportunity for dialogue and collaboration between private and public entities to achieve the shared goal of long-term value creation, which will unlock the full potential of the circular economy.”

“The European Union has embraced the circular economy and its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Effective voluntary commitments, in combination with ambitious policy, should drive this project. There can be no better way of creating a fully-functioning, sustainable and circular economy than by bringing together everyone who will make this happen. VinylPlus rightfully positions the circular economy as a unique opportunity for dialogue and collaboration between private and public entities to achieve the shared goal of long-term value creation, which will unlock the full potential of the circular economy.”

“I’m happy to see that in its Progress Report 2017 VinylPlus is reporting its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, having identified the goals each of its five challenges relate to. I’d like to congratulate VinylPlus; we know how difficult it is to bring a whole value chain together to achieve more sustainability. VinylPlus shows that industry can change, industry can contribute. VinylPlus is a good role model and we are ready to work more closely with them.”

“One thing about VinylPlus® is that everything is out on the table, it’s not as if we’re creating targets, not telling anyone about them, not telling them how we’re doing. Everything is transparently stated in terms of the intent. […] So right across the five challenges there is tangible progress that anyone with two clicks of a mouse can check up on. PVC has moved from a state of being perceived as a pariah material towards one now that is being cited as an exemplar by the UN and the EU and other sectors, simply because of the massive progress and the transparent reporting of that progress. Its role in the circular economy is very much now as a leader, rather than a laggard.”

“The role of VinylPlus aligns very well with the Sustainable Development Goals. VinylPlus allows the industry to come together to discuss the main characteristics of sustainability, and how they can contribute. VinylPlus can make that visible for governments and for civil society.”

“The post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate commitments will offer a new narrative for the industry: sharing prosperity and respecting the environment. As a member of the Green Industry Platform, the Vinyl Industry can actively contribute to the global sustainability agenda through its continuous efforts to reduce its environmental and climate footprint and to develop new green products, services and jobs that will support a more sustainable world.

In the race for sustainability the laggards will lose. We see the VinylPlus initiative as the forerunner and role model for a global standard of the industry.”

“UNIDO is particularly proud to have an industry-wide partnership such as VinylPlus on the Green Industry Platform. The recent milestones they have achieved demonstrate how the private sector can be transformative in nature and can take the lead in achieving an important step towards sustainability objectives and realizing a more inclusive and sustainable model of industrial development. This partnership model is therefore of great relevance not only in the European context, but also for developing and transition economies that are just beginning their journey of sustainable economic growth.”

“Partnerships are a key enabler for achieving progress on agreed development goals, including sustainable development. VinylPlus has demonstrated success and we are keen to see how the European industry challenges itself to be more ambitious and concrete in addressing identified challenges. Industry has a critical role to play in accelerating change, greening the economy and driving sustainable progress around the world.”

“Vinyl is for us one of the most successful Partnerships since the Partnerships program was established.
From the United Nations and from the Division for Sustainable Development we have followed the work done by Vinyl and Vinyl 2010. We are very honored and privileged to know that there is a VinylPlus, that there is a future for the PVC industry in Europe.”