For 30 years, companies in the PVC industry, from raw material and additive manufacturers to processors and recyclers, have been committed to sustainability, resource and energy efficiency and the recycling of PVC products. In a multitude of different applications, PVC also contributes to the conservation of energy and resources. The long service life of the products, especially in high-quality construction applications such as flooring, window profiles and roofing membranes, as well as the increasing use of recycled materials play an important role in this. On behalf of AGPU and PlasticsEurope Deutschland, Conversio Market & Strategy GmbH has closely examined the German PVC industry in a study. This means that the companies in the PVC value chain once again have an up-to-date material flow picture of their material. The last study was carried out in 2013.
The results of the study "Analysis of PVC production, processing, waste and recycling flows in Germany 2017" show that 1.84 million tonnes of PVC, including 249,000 tonnes of PVC recyclates, were processed into semi-finished and end products in this country. The construction sector is the dominant sector here with a share of over 70 per cent. Thus, the recyclate share already contributes 13.5 per cent to the total volume processed. PVC recyclates flowed in particular into durable construction applications as well as the horticulture and agriculture sectors.
Compared to 2013, the amount of PVC waste increased by seven percent to 694,000 tonnes. The main reason for this is that more durable products are entering the waste stream over time. The recycling volume also increased in the comparison period: 687,000 tonnes of PVC were recycled in 2017 (2013: 639,000 tonnes). Broken down by forms of recycling, this quantity in Germany breaks down as follows: 37 per cent of PVC waste was recycled materially and 62 per cent under energy recovery.
"Increasingly effective processes and a broader acceptance for products with recyclates ensure the increase of mechanical PVC recycling. In this way, the material also makes a significant contribution here to conserving natural resources and meeting the ambitious recycling targets of the European PVC sustainability programme VinylPlus®," says AGPU Managing Director Thomas Hülsmann.
About the study
For the study entitled "Analysis of PVC production, processing, waste and recycling flows in Germany 2017", more than 2,000 companies from plastics production, processing and recycling were surveyed and official and other statistics were used. The study was commissioned by AGPU andPlasticsEurope Germany by Conversio Market & Strategy GmbH. The study is available on request from AGPU.
