BPF welcomes change in perception over PVC

On Friday, the group launched PVC in Sport brochure and a video highlighting the uses of PVC in sporting events.

The campaign was launched to counter fears that Polyvinyl chloride is not an environmentally-friendly construction material for Olympic sporting facilities, having previously been banned from use at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 due to its perceived impact on the environment.

Since then the BPF has been heavily involved in Vinyl 2010, a Europe-wide voluntary commitment undertaken by many of the continents leading PVC manufacturers to grow PVC recycling, which has seen almost 950,000 tonnes of PVC recycled over the last decade.

Vinyl Plus

It is also a key member of Vinyl 2010s successor, Vinyl Plus a further 10-year voluntary agreement which aims to see 800,000 tonnes of PVC recycled across Europe by 2020.

BPF claims that highlighting the recyclability of PVC has helped prove to organisers of the London Olympics that it does fit into their vision of a Zero Waste Games, with the bulk of PVC material used in temporary structures set to be recycled after the London Games have ended.

More than 142,000 square metres of PVC fabric have been used to build roofing, seating and flooring at Olympic sports venues including the Water Polo Arena, the Aquatics Centre, Eton Manor, the Royal Artillery Barracks, the Basketball Arena and in the main stadium itself.

Instead of being demolished, it has been revealed that Londons 12,000-seat Basketball Arena will be dismantled and shipped to Brazil, where it will be reassembled to be used in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Plans are also in place to use some of the recycled PVC from Londons Olympic venues to be used at the 2014 World Cup, also in Brazil.