Vinyl – One of the Most Sustainable Materials on Earth

Let’s look at Vinyl as a building material. Vinyl is used for many applications such as flooring, wall-covering, siding, buried water main and sewer piping, and industrial process piping. Vinyl has many benefits as a construction material such as corrosion-resistance, abrasion-resistance, superior strength, and longevity. Vinyl construction materials are also light-weight and easy to install. But how does Vinyl stack-up in the Sustainability department? 

Firstly, the basic raw materials for Vinyl are natural gas, saltwater and air. There is an abundant supply of natural gas in North America, and more deposits are being discovered every day. We have a virtually unlimited supply of salt water and unlimited supply of air. So in terms of natural resources, Vinyl is easily sustainable. Vinyl scores high for natural resources as its raw materials are in virtually unlimited supply, and it scores high for the environment as it is 100 percent recyclable. If Vinyl does not meet the definition of a truly sustainable material, what does?