2020 Vinyl Industry Year in Review

What a year. Like most other sectors, the vinyl industry was dramatically disrupted when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. As a result, this year has been full of creative adaptation: Finding new solutions for our members, working to ensure continuity of operations, assisting with government relief, trying new communication methods. Like our products, the vinyl industry is proven its resiliency. Through it all, the Vinyl Institute (VI) successfully collaborated with members of the vinyl value chain to address challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and advance the industry.

As we enter 2021, we’re excited to see what more we can accomplish! Now is the time to reflect on all the strategic accomplishments and how we’ve worked towards achieving the goals and objectives set forth in our strategic plan.

Strategic Initiatives:

Advocate: Provide best-in-class policy advocacy, regulatory and standards interface and legal guidance.

COVID-19 was central in much of the legislative action we took, and we worked tirelessly to ensure that PVC resin and product manufacturers were designated as Essential Businesses so they could continue to provide critical products to the public.

And our shining regulatory moment was likely when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its draft reconsideration of the PVC MACT rule, which culminates an 8-year effort and a strong push in 2020 by VI’s PVC MACT Working Group to get the Agency to finish the rulemaking. This revised rule corrects several emissions limits errors in the 2012 rule and sets new regulatory criteria for PVC manufacturing facilities. The Working Group is preparing comments on the draft rule to submit before the Feb. 8, 2021 close of the comment period.

Other Advocacy efforts and accomplishments included:

• Forbearance regarding TSCA fees to meet liquidity needs granted by EPA after a successful VI-led coalition.
• 1 open competition amendment included in the Moving Forward Act, which was the first time open competition language has passed a house of Congress.
• 1 VI Legislative Champion Award was presented to Rep. Grace Flores Napolitano (D-CA) for her work on water infrastructure.
• 3 COVID-19 webinars hosted that discussed how the pandemic was affecting the industry and various relief programs that companies could use to their advantage.
• Several weeks of daily COVID-19 member updates sent from March to May to help members adapt and pivot their efforts and ensure their operational needs were met.
• Supported passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and attended the signing ceremony in January at the White House.

• 15 letters to Congress and the Administration, including expressing concern to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that Canada’s decision to label plastic as toxic could violate the just passed USMCA.
• Several efforts blocked or stalled legislation in California and Massachusetts that would disadvantage plastic DWV pipe.
• Several efforts, in collaboration with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and other state allies, removed barriers at the state level for advanced recycling, with legislation passed in Virginia and Pennsylvania. And in various states, including California, New York, Maine, New Jersey, and Washington, the VI ensured comprehensive recycling and extended producer responsibility bills did not significantly disadvantage the PVC packaging market.

Engage: Promote a positive image, defend the industry, engage end-users, and increase visibility.

As the pandemic wreaked havoc, our members went above and beyond to provide critical products used to protect public health. The VI worked carefully to share these stories in a way that showcased the vinyl industry’s goodwill without appearing opportunistic, and the related social media posts were consistently among the most engaging.

In addition, the VI and Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) highlighted members’ commitment to sustainability by presenting the annual Vinyl Recycling Award to The AZEK Company and Sika Sarnafil, and the first-ever Social Impact Award to GEON Performance Solutions and HMTX Industries. Public recognition like this is critical to advancing the vinyl industry’s external perception. We know the good our members are doing, and we’re helping amplify the positive efforts of vinyl value chain members.

Other Engagement efforts and accomplishments included:

• 1 refreshed brand website to better promote and support +Vantage Vinyl™.
• An increase in social media engagement and followers on the VI’s LinkedIn and Twitter
• 2 newly created social media handles, including a LinkedIn page for the VSC and a Twitter account for the +Vantage Vinyl.
• 11 responses published by Vinyl Verified to respond to attacks on PVC’s reputation.
• 1 week-long push for Infrastructure Week highlighted the VI’s key issue of water infrastructure.

• 4 infographics and a variety of other resources created to emphasize the importance of material selection in sustainability and designing for infection control.
• 3 awards from MarCom and dotCOMM honored the Vinyl Sustainability Council’s sustainability publication and +Vantage Vinyl website.
• 1 Lifetime Achievement Award honored the Chao Family, of Westlake Chemical Corporation.
• 1 Partner of the Year Award recognized Dick Church, Executive Director, of the Plastic Pipe & Fittings Association.
• 1,331 architects, designers, and specifiers participated in the Vinyl in Design continuing education program.

Steward: Champion sustainability initiatives through continuous improvement, collaboration, and communications.

2020 was a tremendous year for the VSC and our sustainability initiative +Vantage Vinyl. The VSC led a vigorous membership drive resulting in eight new members and nine companies that anticipate being +Vantage Vinyl verified for 2020. Growing membership and participation is critical in advancing our industry’s sustainability, as true progress can only be achieved with continued collaboration and buy-in.

Additionally, the VSC published Our Sustainability Journey: 2015-2019, a transparent benchmarking document to show where the vinyl industry currently is on our sustainability journey and where we are headed. As our industry continues to implement more sustainable practices, transparency will be key to reporting our progress.

Other Stewardship efforts and accomplishments included:

• 2 brand refreshes of the VSC and +Vantage Vinyl.
• 1 marketing committee formed by the VSC to receive feedback on marketing efforts.
• 1 sustainability publication, Our Sustainability Journey: 2015-2019, produced, which depicts the vinyl industry’s sustainability efforts to date.
• 1 industry goal of increasing post-consumer recycling by 10% by 2025 established by the VSC’s V-cycle Task Force.
• 8 new VSC members recruited, including 1 primary member, 6 associate members, and 1 trade association member.
• 9 VSC member companies to be +Vantage Vinyl verified.

Innovate: Convene industry thought leaders and provide a platform for supply chain and technology innovation.

Despite a virtual-only format, the VI and VSC hosted a variety of events, from COVID-19 webinars, to a recycling summit, to our annual meeting. The Vinyl Recycling Summit is a great example of success in this area. It filled a technical need that many attendees said other conferences and webinars lacked. And as the importance of recycling and finding new methods for resource efficiency is only growing, the Summit was timely, well-executed, and feedback on the content was extremely positive.

Other Innovation efforts and accomplishments included:

• 2 recycling pilot projects approved in partnership with the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association for roofing and the Vinyl Siding Institute for siding.
• Nearly 150 vinyl value chain participants
• More than 33 outside experts presented at VI sessions and webinars.
• 1 new institute joined – the U.S. Department of Energy’s new initiative for manufacturers, Reducing EMbodied-Energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute, whose mission is to enable early research and development of industrial platform technologies that could reduce embodied energy and carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production and processing, including recycling.
• 339 signatures on the EPA America Recycles pledge, with the VI joining in 2020.

Inform: Enable vinyl industry growth by providing actionable industry data analysis.

Data collection is integral in moving our industry and decision making forward. The VI partnered with Titus MRF Services to show how post-consumer vinyl content is handled at a California MRF facility. This data helps direct our recycling strategy, especially as extended producer responsibility (EPR) bills continue to be prioritized in many state legislatures. In addition, our health, safety, and environmental survey, recycling survey, and updated Tarnell industry database continue to provide data and trend lines that help the industry benchmark our progress.

Other Information efforts and accomplishments included:

• 1 market research document, Spotlight on Vinyl, in partnership with the Tarnell Company, made available for purchase to resin manufacturers.
• 36 VI-member facilities recognized for their outstanding continuous improvement in health, safety, and environmental performance.

Develop: Build the workforce of tomorrow.

Due to the pandemic and the record unemployment levels, this strategic initiative took a lower priority in 2020. But we continue to focus on 2021 activities and tactics such as a soon-to-be released membership survey on workforce needs. As everyone in the industry knows, manufacturing is facing a skills gap. To combat this, the VI has consistently supported the National Association of Manufacturers’ MFG Day to highlight modern manufacturing and encourage younger workers to explore manufacturing as a viable career path.

The VSC hired two sustainability interns from Mississippi State University and Howard University. Both interns reflected that they weren’t familiar with the vinyl industry upon accepting the internship but learned a lot about the industry’s sustainability efforts and the various career opportunities available. We are continuing our internship program in 2021 with the intent to widen the pool of applicants that can join our VI member companies following graduation.

Other Development efforts and accomplishments included:

• 1 vinyl industry leader nominated for STEP Ahead Award.

Perform: Drive organizational excellence responsive to member needs.

Finally, on the internal side, the VI team worked harder and smarter than ever before. Nine team members maintained VI’s full staff roster, and our annual employee engagement survey continued to show positive team culture. The VI retained 100% of members and recruited Olin to join the EDC TSCA panel. And despite the pandemic, the VI’s financial results remained favorable and balanced.