Progress Report 2025: Pathway 3
Building Coalitions and Partnerships for Sustainability
Contributing to Sustainable Development Through Certified and Traceable Products
VinylPlus Sustainability Certifications
The VinylPlus® Product Label
Accredited at the European level by Accredia, the label has gained significant recognition. It is acknowledged as a Responsible Sourcing Certification Scheme within BREEAM and by Italian authorities in the national CAM (Minimum Environmental Criteria). It is also recognised as one of the most valued certification schemes included in the multi-material label developed by the Belgian Construction Certification Association (BCCA).
The VinylPlus® Supplier Certificates
The VinylPlus® Supplier Certificates (VSCs) are sustainability schemes for additive producers and compounders that are partners of VinylPlus. The VSCs not only give these companies the chance to demonstrate their sustainability performance but can also help their converter customers shorten audit times and gain quicker access to the VinylPlus® Product Label. To date, eight additive producers and five compounders have obtained the VinylPlus® Supplier Certificates.
Enhancing traceability through Digital Product Passports
The introduction of a ‘digital product assport’ (DPP) is part of broader initiatives to improve product sustainability, traceability, and circular economy practices in the EU. Various EU regulations across different sectors are aligning with or incorporating DPP requirements.
The VinylPlus® Digital Passport Programme
In line with EU regulations such as the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Construction Product Regulation (CPR), the VinylPlus® Digital Passport Programme aims to develop DPPs for PVC products to enable transparent tracking of product data, ensuring compliance with the EU sustainability and recycling standards. DPPs also support better resource management, facilitate product reuse, and enhance circular economy practices by providing essential information on material composition, life cycle, and end-of-life options.
The Flex-ID Project
In 2024, the Flex-ID project piloted DPPs for tarpaulins, cushion vinyl floor coverings, and roofing membranes, aiming to set a benchmark for product life cycle management. Led by VinylPlus alongside industry partners Beaulieu International Group, RENOLIT SE, SIOEN Industries NV, and in collaboration with 3E, a company specialised in the development of DPPs, the Flex-ID project delivered key insights into DPP design and implementation. Besides the publication of the white paper FLEX-ID Digital Passport: Committed to Transparency and Traceability, an event was held in Brussels.
Promoting sustainable private and public procurement practices
VinylPlus Deutschland continued to promote VinylPlus as a sustainability leader in 2024, driving recognition of the VinylPlus® Product Label among corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability managers.
Through advertorials in Forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften and social media campaigns, VinylPlus Deutschland spotlighted key achievements of the 2030 Commitment and PVC’s role in healthcare. Another campaign promoted PVC as a sustainable, cost-effective choice for the public procurement and hospitality sectors. Editorials and advertorials in KBD and HOTELBAU magazines, plus online content, showcased PVC products’ energy- and resource-efficiency and long-term value, amplifying their reach via social media.
MONITORING COMMITTEE
To guarantee maximum transparency, accountability and participation, an independent body supervises the implementation of the Commitment, providing guidance and guidelines.
Engaging Stakeholders in the Sustainable Transformation of the PVC Industry
The VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2024
Under the theme Together Towards Higher Ambitions, the forum highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration to achieve common sustainability goals at the EU and global levels. Key discussions focused on life cycle assessments, carbon reduction, advanced recycling technologies and industry transformation.
The VinylPlus UK Seminar 2024
The VinylPlus UK Seminar 2024, held online in December, attracted over 120 delegates from across Europe, the USA and China. Targeting senior and middle management professionals, researchers, and students in the plastics industry, the seminar provided valuable insights into the evolving industry landscape, including regulatory updates from the UK and Europe.
Global Vinyl Council
The strong cooperation with other regional PVC associations represented in the Global Vinyl Council (GVC) was further enhanced in 2024. Joint work focused on important topics such as the ECHA Investigation report on PVC and PVC additives, and the UNEP intergovernmental negotiations towards a Global Plastics Treaty.
Global Plastics Treaty – On the Ground
As an observer organisation to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), VinylPlus has been actively involved in the discussions for the Plastics Treaty, participating in both the Fourth (INC-4, in Ottawa, Canada) and the Fifth (INC-5, in Busan, South Korea) sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
On the ground, VinylPlus contributed its expertise on PVC and its role in reducing plastic pollution to negotiators and observers, including to delegates from the European Commission and Member States. It offered insights into the PVC sector and facilitated exchanges with other stakeholders to enhance mutual understanding. In addition, VinylPlus highlighted the alignment of PVC industry’s commitment to sustainability with the treaty’s objectives, particularly through recycling and circular economy practices.
Global Plastics Treaty – Updating the Value Chain
Actors in the European PVC value chain were regularly updated with reports on key discussions at the INC, as well as on the strong collaboration with other industry associations. A dedicated webinar on 4 December 2024 – Global Plastics Treaty – What’s Next? – focused on the outcome of INC-5.
This included VinylPlus’ experience and contributions from the European Commission and explored what the Global Plastics Treaty means for the PVC industry. VinylPlus will continue to monitor and engage in the negotiation process as it unfolds.
Partnering With Stakeholders
To enhance the PVC industry’s contribution to the SDGs, VinylPlus is continuing to engage with civil society, including younger generations, local communities, institutions and the private sector through partnerships, joint projects and initiatives.
The PVC4CreativeDesign project promoted eco-design and sustainability in PVC applications, focusing on training for engineers and architects in Italy. It also addressed the demand for innovative, sustainable designs in product development which had raised in dialogues with Italian authorities. Online meetings with over 1,800 engineers and architects boosted the visibility of VinylPlus, encouraged the adoption of the VinylPlus® Product Label, and promoted the use of sustainable PVC products, highlighting PVC’s role in circularity and design innovation. The project was further supported by the Colours of PVC social media campaign, which demonstrated how the choice of colour in PVC applications can impact sustainable solutions.
Engaging With Institutions and Local Communities
A Competitive, Circular Europe: With or Without Plastics?
Organised by VinylPlus in partnership with CEFLEX, EUMEPS, EuPC, PCEP, Plastics Europe, and PRE, the event was held at the European Parliament in November 2024. Key topics included regulatory challenges and the need for innovation to reduce the environmental impact of plastics. VinylPlus reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability, building partnerships along the value chain, and emphasised the critical need for stronger cooperation between industry and policymakers to drive circularity in Europe.
Milano-Cortina 2026
The project also promotes PVC’s potential in sustainable urban solutions. Key activities include ongoing dialogues with Italian institutions, construction companies, and sports authorities to highlight PVC’s benefits for the Olympics, particularly in terms performance, sustainability, and cost. In 2024, GEES RECYCLING in partnership with VinylPlus Italia tested the recycling of difficult PVC products from sports events into composites, with promising initial results.
In November, a dedicated workshop was organised in Milan, where representatives of Fondazione Milano Cortina and industry players discussed the importance of eco-design and recycling to ensure that PVC products meet the Olympics sustainability criteria, and of fostering collaboration between industry and institutions.
WUPPI – The Danish Collection System for Rigid PVC
The entry into force in 2024 of the EU restrictions on rPVC containing legacy additives, along with related derogations, overrode the previous, stricter Danish regulation, which had effectively made recycling impossible. As a result, WUPPI strengthened its efforts to enhance PVC recycling during the year. These included promotion of the use of rPVC in 3-layer pipes through the Circular Pipes project, in partnership with NPG Nordic (the Nordic Plastic Pipe Association) and several waterworks.
Flexible PVC in Sporting Events
The campaigns – Sustainable Flexibility in Sporting Equipment and Sustainable Materials in the Paris Olympic Games – highlighted the importance of flexible PVC in various aspects of life, from sports infrastructure and equipment to home and body protection. Emphasis was placed on how plasticisers are essential for modern life thanks to their versatility and the enhancements they bring in convenience, safety and functionality.
Garden to Connect
The VinylPlus-supported Garden to Connect project continued to build urban gardens from discarded PVC pipes and other building products around Denmark. These installations not only gave new life to used PVC products but also fostered community spirit and environmental awareness.
Bring it with you!
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