This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
News
Vinyl Industry Launches Ambitious Initiative to Grow Its Sustainability Efforts
The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) launched a groundbreaking sustainability initiative at Sustainable Brands this week. The Initiative recognizes companies showing continuous improvement toward commonly established sustainability goals. Called +Vantage Vinyl, the approach aims to make the vinyl industry more sustainable.
VI President and CEO Ned Monroe said that “+Vantage Vinyl is the industry’s path to advance sustainable development throughout the supply chain. Vinyl has come together to collaborate, anticipate upcoming challenges, and identify a return on investment in sustainability.”
He added, “After three years of work by the Vinyl Sustainability Council, we are proud to announce this game-changing commitment.”
Championing Sustainable Development
+Vantage Vinyl is a voluntary collaboration of companies in the value vinyl chain committed to proactively advancing sustainable development, reducing their environmental footprint, and making a difference by doing more with less.
“We’re predicted to need three planets worth of natural resources to meet the needs of the 10.5 billion global population in 30 years. That’s just not sustainable,” said Cristian Barcan, the Vinyl Sustainability Council’s executive director. “Vinyl can help meet the needs of this exploding population and our declining resources. Our solution begins with advancing an industry-wide approach to sustainability.”
Participants in +Vantage Vinyl will set and meet annual goals in three priority impact areas:
- resource efficiency and recycling
- health and safety
- emissions.
The VSC identified these target areas from the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, selecting arenas where the U.S. vinyl industry can make the most impact. For example, these goals include increasing recycling efforts beyond the 1.1 billion pounds of vinyl recycled annually in U.S. and Canada; increasing emphasis on workplace health and safety initiatives and product stewardship policies designed to minimize user exposures; and identifying best practices for continually reducing direct emissions across the industry.
+Vantage Vinyl is partnering with GreenCircle Certified, LLC, an independent third-party, to verify and report on key performance indicators achieved by each participating company.