Vincent Stone, Technical and Environmental Affairs Senior Manager at VinylPlus® explains how the VinylPlus® Product Label makes it simple for public and private procurers alike to choose and shop responsibly for high-performing and sustainable PVC products that contribute to a Circular Economy.
VinylPlus
The VinylPlus® Product Label is a sustainability certification scheme which makes it easy for customers and markets to identify the most sustainable and high-performance PVC products for the building and construction sectors. Currently, the scheme covers the PVC building products as defined in Article 2 and Annex I of the EU Construction Products Regulation 305/2011.
The VinylPlus® Product Label is a well-recognised Europe-wide sustainability certification scheme for PVC products in building and construction sectors. It serves as a guiding tool for public and private buyers looking to select PVC products with the best sustainability profile. Durable, robust and recyclable, PVC is a versatile material used in myriad long-life and low-maintenance building products, from window profiles to pipes and cables.
Key sustainability criteria
Launched in 2018 by VinylPlus, the European PVC industry’s Commitment to sustainable development, and developed in collaboration with the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the VinylPlus® Product Label is awarded to VinylPlus partner companies whose overall policy and performance, as well as component materials used for products, fulfil 20 key sustainability criteria.
These criteria include the responsible sourcing of PVC resin and additives, controlled loop management and recycling, as well as sustainable energy policies, and organisational and supply chain management requirements.
In 2021, the VinylPlus® Product Label was recognised as the first Responsible Sourcing Certification Scheme (RSCS) dedicated to plastic building and construction products in both BREEAM® and Home Quality Mark (HQM), two schemes owned by BRE.
BREEAM® is the world’s most used sustainability assessment method for measuring the environmental, social and economic sustainability performance of buildings, from planning projects and infrastructures to buildings. HQM is a certification scheme which helps UK housebuilders to demonstrate the quality and sustainability performance of their new homes. Both schemes are widely used by public procurers in Europe to measure the sustainability requirements of their building projects.
Achieve higher BREEAM® and HQM scores
Thanks to BRE’s tough yet successful assessment of the VinylPlus® Product Label, owners of buildings selecting PVC products certified with any versions of the VinylPlus scheme can automatically achieve higher BREEAM® and HQM scores. This helps them to increase the market value of their BREEAM® and HQM-certified properties.
Continued recognition and use of the VinylPlus® Product Label has contributed to its success across the UK and Europe. Currently, a total of 153 PVC products manufactured by 11 converters in 22 European plants are certified.
According to Brigitte Dero, Managing Director, VinylPlus, ‘the VinylPlus® Product Label confirms our commitment to strengthen the positive social, economic and environmental impact of PVC.’
