Embracing Sustainability: Exploring Recycled PVC Products

Reducing waste is a top priority for the vinyl industry. One of the best ways to do it? Create products that utilize recycled PVC as an eco-friendly alternative to existing products.

Something important to highlight now: yes, PVC is recyclable. We’ve often heard that it simply can’t be, which is false. More than a billion pounds of PVC are recycled annually in the U.S. and Canada.

Even better? More and more companies are tapping into the potential of recycled PVC by using it in new, sustainable products. In this piece, we’ll highlight some companies and products that put sustainability front and center through the manufacture of recycled-PVC products.

One company committed to increasing circularity in the vinyl industry is The AZEK Company. AZEK understands the importance of incorporating sustainability into every facet of its operations – as evidenced by its Silver level verification through the Vinyl Sustainability Council’s +Vantage Vinyl program. Specifically, its TimberTech AZEK Landmark Collection decking line is a phenomenal example of recycled PVC in action. With a reclaimed wood aesthetic, the Landmark Collection launched in February 2021 and is made entirely from synthetic material, approximately 50% of which is recycled PVC. The decks are manufactured with post-industrial and post-consumer waste, such as old vinyl siding from homes, PVC pipe, and window trim. It’s top-of-the-line performance is a phenomenal reminder that using recycled PVC doesn’t mean a reduction in performance. AZEK’s Chief Marketing Officer said in a 2021 press release that the line of sustainable decks has saved more than 3 million trees since 2001 and diverted approximately 500 million pounds of scrap and waste from landfills in fiscal year 2022 alone.

Auto Mats & Accessories (AMA) is another great example. They are, as their name may give away, a manufacturer of auto mats and other auto accessories made from post-consumer or post-industrial vinyl material. AMA has been in business for 38 years and uses an estimated 4 to 5 million pounds of recycled PVC in its products annually. AMA was one of five projects to receive a VIABILITY grant in the program’s second round in November 2023.

Through our VIABILITY grant, AMA was able to purchase a new, state-of-the-art injection molding machine. The new machine can process 160 pounds per hour of post-consumer PVC into all-weather mats. Through the networking made possible through VIABILITY, AMA also connected with three new sources of post-consumer PVC. As a result, AMA will be able to recycle up to 1 million more pounds of PVC per year.

Finally, the last example we’ll highlight is Duro-Last. A manufacturer of custom-fabricated roofing systems, Duro-Last has been a leading example of recycling in the roofing industry. The company recycles its own product and then provides that recyclate for new products such as Roof-Trak® walkway pads, ProFlex® concrete expansion joints, and Protect-All® flooring. Protect-All flooring, for example, is manufactured from over 90 percent recycled content and utilizes a process that fuses together remnant industrial-strength vinyl into one monolithic piece. Most importantly, this process keeps millions of pounds of vinyl waste out of landfills annually.

Adopting recycled-PVC products is pivotal in mitigating environmental degradation and promoting responsible consumption as we navigate toward a more sustainable future. Through collaboration and innovation, businesses can leverage recycled PVC’s potential to drive positive change and pave the way for a more sustainable tomorrow.