PVC polyvinyl chloride

Because PVC is flexible, light, transparent and cost-effective, it has been widely used in packaging as

• rigid films (60%), in blister packs, clamshell packs for toys, hardware, electronics, personal care products, household goods; strawberry punnets; salad-to-go bowls
• flexible films (11%), in food wraps, tamper evidence sleeves for medications, shrink-wrapping for games, software, household goods
• closures (3%), in jar lids
• rigid bottles, for mouthwashes, automotive lubricants

In the recent decade use of PVC has been discouraged in several countries, such as in the USA and the European Union. Why? Because of its toxicity at every stage of its lifeycle.

1. To produce PVC, the highly toxic vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is polymerized. VCM is a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent), and due to their exposure through the years many workers in PVC plants developed liver tumours and died of angiosarcoma of the liver.

2. During the PVC polymerization process, dioxin by products are created. Dioxin compounds (particularly polychlorinated dibenzodioxins PCDDs) have been shown to bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife; they are known to cause birth defects (teratogens) and change DNAs (mutagens) and are suspected to cause cancer in humans.

3. During distribution and consumption, the plasticizers such as phthalates used to make PVC softer can easily leach out of PVC packaging into the food. Phthalates mimic human hormones and also adversely affect fish and invertebrates. Phthalates in PVC cling wrap were found to migrate to cheeses, fatty fish and meats. Soft PVC toys for children have been banned in many places due to the leaching of phthalates (particularly diethylhexyl phthalate DEHP and diisononyl phthalate DINP) as kids chewed on the toys. Intravenous bags used in neonatal intensive care units have also been shown to leach DEHP; PVC-free IV bags are now available.

4. When subjected to incineration or wastewaster treatment systems, PVC in domestic garbage also releases dioxin. Burning of household waste in barrels and open pits is the biggest source of dioxin emissions; this is followed by the incineration of medical and municipal waste (medical tubing and blood bags are made from PVC). Landfill fires can also be a significant source. Dioxins persist in the environment and can travel long distances, so they are a global threat.

The Japanese car companies Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have eliminated PVC in their car interiors starting in 2007. Microsoft, Wal-Mart, and Kaiser Permanente announced efforts to eliminate PVC from products and packaging in 2005. Target is reducing its sale of items with PVC. The US State of California is currently considering a bill that would ban the use of PVC in consumer packaging by 2015.

There have been widespread attempts to find alternatives to PVC in packaging:

a. For blister packs, cyclic olefin copolymers (COC) or polymers (COP) have been successfully used, typically in multilayered combinations with polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETg).

b. For cling wrap, PVC is still the most common for food catering businesses, but LDPE has gained market for household cling wraps.

More information at
Vinyl Council Australia
European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers
The Vinyl Institute