WIRE NEWS WN July 2019 | Page 6

Vinyl Industry Launches Ambitious Initiative to Grow Sustainability Efforts +Vantage Vinyl to prime industry for significant environmental and social contributions The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) is +Vantage Vinyl is the Vinyl Institute’s rigorous, launching a groundbreaking initiative to industry-wide approach to sustainability. Galvanizing advance and recognize the U.S. vinyl industry the industry around sustainability prepares vinyl to as a trusted leader in sustainability. +Vantage meet increasing customer demand for responsibly Vinyl is a voluntary collaboration of companies sourced products and materials. in the vinyl value chain committed to proactively advancing sustainable development, Participants in +Vantage Vinyl will set and meet reducing their environmental footprint, and annual goals in three priority impact areas: landfill making a difference by doing more with less. diversion, health and safety, and emissions. The VSC identified these target areas from the United Nations’ “+Vantage Vinyl is the industry’s path to advance 17 Sustainable Development Goals, selecting arenas sustainable development throughout the supply where the U.S. vinyl industry can make the most chain,” said Ned Monroe, president and CEO of impact. For example, these goals include increasing the Vinyl Institute. “Vinyl has come together to recycling efforts beyond the 1.1 billion pounds collaborate, anticipate upcoming challenges, and of vinyl recycled annually in the U.S. and Canada; identify a return on investment in sustainability. increasing emphasis on workplace health and safety After three years of work by the Vinyl Sustainability initiatives and product stewardship policies designed Council, we are proud to announce this game- to minimize user exposures; and identifying best changing commitment.” practices for continually reducing direct emissions across the industry. “We’re predicted to need three planets worth of natural resources to meet the needs of the 10.5 Vantage Vinyl is partnering with GreenCircle billion global population in 30 years. That’s just Certified, LLC, an independent third-party, to verify not sustainable,” said Cristian Barcan, the Vinyl and report on key performance indicators achieved Sustainability Council’s executive director. “Vinyl can by each participating company. help meet the needs of this exploding population and our declining resources. Our solution begins Membership is voluntary and open to U.S. vinyl with advancing an industry-wide approach to value chain companies that are resin suppliers, sustainability.” raw material/additive suppliers, material 6 WIRE NEWS July 2019