Progress Towards the Commitment
VinylPlus reports annually on progress towards the VinylPlus 2030 Commitment, the European PVC value chain’s voluntary commitment to sustainable development.
Progress is documented through independently verified Progress Reports and supported by practical initiatives across circularity, recycling innovation, carbon and environmental footprint, certification, traceability, stakeholder engagement and partnerships.
Progress Report 2026
The VinylPlus Progress Report 2026 reports on 2025 activities and provides the latest public update on progress towards the VinylPlus 2030 Commitment. The report covers market developments, circularity, recycling achievements, environmental footprint, certification, partnerships, governance and verification.
VinylPlus 2030 Commitment
The revised VinylPlus 2030 Commitment, launched at the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2026, updates the programme following the planned mid-term review and is intended to reflect evolving regulatory, technological and market conditions.
Progress in Practice
Progress towards the VinylPlus 2030 Commitment is delivered through practical work across the PVC value chain — from collection and recycling schemes to innovation, environmental performance, certification and stakeholder partnerships.
Circularity
Collection, recycling, recycled PVC in new products, sorting and detection, design for recycling, safe use of recyclate and the policy conditions needed to scale progress.
Innovation
Technologies and approaches shaping the future of PVC, including advanced recycling, detection and sorting, design for recycling, decarbonisation, additive sustainability and future technologies.
Environmental Footprint
Carbon reduction, renewable energy, sustainable feedstock, life-cycle assessment, environmental performance and responsible production.
Certifications and Traceability
Certification and traceability tools that help document sustainability performance across PVC products and value chains.
Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
Work with policymakers, public authorities, universities, NGOs, value-chain partners and global organisations.
How Progress Maps to the Commitment
The VinylPlus 2030 Commitment is structured around three pathways. These pathways provide the formal framework for reporting progress, reviewing targets and guiding the European PVC value chain’s contribution to sustainable development.
Pathway 1: Scaling Up PVC Value Chain Circularity
Focus areas include recycling, collection schemes, safe use of recyclates, sorting and detection technologies, innovative recycling and design for recycling.
Related pages:
Pathway 2: Advancing Towards Carbon Neutrality and Minimising Our Environmental Footprint
Focus areas include carbon reduction, renewable energy, sustainable feedstock, environmental performance, life-cycle assessment, production standards and responsible chemical use.
Related pages:
Pathway 3: Building Global Coalitions and Partnering for the SDGs
Focus areas include transparency, annual reporting, certification, traceability, stakeholder engagement, partnerships and knowledge sharing.
Related pages:
Progress Report 2026 Highlights
765,972 tonnes recycled
PVC recycling remained resilient in 2025, with 765,972 tonnes of PVC waste recycled within the VinylPlus framework — a 5.7% increase compared with 2024.
Technical projects advanced
VinylPlus supported practical projects to improve PVC collection, sorting, recycling and design for circularity across construction, healthcare, packaging and flexible PVC applications.
10.3M tonnes recycled since 2000
Since 2000, the European PVC value chain has recycled 10.3 million tonnes of PVC, saving an estimated 20.6 million tonnes of CO₂.
Certification schemes under revision
In 2025, VinylPlus started a comprehensive revision of its sustainability certification schemes to strengthen their role in documenting sustainability performance across PVC products and supply chains.
508,109 tonnes in RecoTrace®
In 2025, converters registered 508,109 tonnes of recycled PVC uptake in RecoTrace®, helping document the use of recycled PVC in new products.
Stakeholder engagement expanded
The VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2025 brought together more than 200 delegates from 23 countries, including policymakers, public agencies, recyclers, retailers and PVC value-chain representatives.
Transparent Reporting and Verification
Each year, VinylPlus publishes an independently verified and audited Progress Report detailing progress towards the Commitment. The Progress Report 2026 was independently verified by SGS, while recycled PVC tonnages and expenditures were audited and certified by PKF BOFIDI.
The VinylPlus Monitoring Committee supervises the implementation of the Commitment and supports transparency, accountability and stakeholder participation. The Committee includes representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, academia, consumer organisations and the European PVC industry.
