The truth about PVC (Vinyl).

There has been much talk recently about PVC products, and we hope that this webpage will offer some clarity to what is being said in the media. At Active Playground Equipment, we use PVC in our deck and bench surfaces.

Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC) is among the largest volume plastics produced around the world and it contributes a great deal to life's necessities and conveniences.

Vinyl is used in hundreds of products all of us rely on every day: pipe, house siding, table & bench coatings, flooring, electrical wire and cable insulation, medical tubing and blood bags, electronic and automotive parts, playground decking and packaging materials.

Because PVC resin can be combined with many additives, vinyl can meet requirements for products in many industries.

Vinyl is often chosen over other materials because of its safety, low cost, versatility and performance properties.
Vinyl is strong, durable, abrasion and moisture resistant; withstands rust and corrosion; is electrically non-conductive and has excellent fire performance properties.

Vinyl can be produced in almost any color from opaque to crystal clear.

The Simple Facts…

• Vinyl comes from salt, an inexpensive, renewable and abundant resource.

• Vinyl siding is used in numerous Habitat for Humanity Projects.

• Vinyl is critical to many “quality of life”products.

• Vinyl’s largest use is in construction material applications.

• Over 40 million square feet of vinyl siding is installed on U.S. homes and buildings annually.


• Vinyl products consume less energy, generate fewer emissions nd save more energy than many competitive products.


• PVC can and is being recycled and the demand for recycled vinyl far exceeds the supply.


• Vinyl production is one of the most regulated industries.


• The Chlorine in vinyl is used as a fire retardant.


• Vinyl is strong, durable, abrasion and moisture resistant; withstands rust and corrosion; is electrically non-conductive.


• When it comes to versatility and safety, no material compares to vinyl — one of the most time tested materials in use today.


• Vinyl's medical uses include blister packaging for pharmaceuticals, blood bags, heart catheters, tubing and surgical gloves.


• Flexible vinyl film is a leading packaging material for wrapping meats and produce, and for tamper-proofing over-the-counter medications and food products.


• Vinyl bottles store everything from peanut butter and cooking oil to shampoo, lighter fluid and motor oil.


• Vinyl won't harm the atmosphere. Once the chlorine in PVC is processed into vinyl, it is chemically locked into the
  product more tightly than it was in salt. When vinyl is recycled, land-filled, or disposed of in a modern incinerator,
  chlorine gas is not released into the atmosphere and studies have shown that when burning is well controlled, as it is in modern incinerators, very little dioxin.

There is a lot of talk these days about PVC, and products made from PVC. But what is the truth? We hope through this information that you will understand everything you need to know about PVC. Most of this information comes from the Vinyl Institute, and IPEMA (International Play Equipment Manufacturer's Association).

What is PVC (Vinyl)

The scientists who developed vinyl in the 1920s had no idea that their invention would come to play a vital role in our everyday lives -- helping make products that are safer, easier to use, clearer, cleaner, more durable, more economical and simply better.
Vinyl is composed of two simple building blocks: chlorine, based on common salt, and ethylene, from natural gas. By employing further chemistry, vinyl can be made flexible, rigid or semi-liquid; clear or colorful; thick or thin – making it the world’s most versatile plastic material.

Use vinyl resin in a rigid state to make PVC pipe and you have a safe, durable material to transport water and safely remove sewage. Use vinyl resin in a flexible format and you can produce blood bags, IV bags and tubing to save lives in hospitals. With its fire resistant nature, use vinyl to produce either jackets, insulation or conduits for electrical wires and cables and you have electrical components that meet or exceed the stringent requirements of standards organizations including the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Vinyl is truly one material with infinite uses.

All this versatility helps make vinyl the third-largest volume plastic produced in North America. In 2006, U.S. vinyl resin production reached nearly 15 billion pounds. From the vinyl resin producers to those who extrude the resin into pipe, siding, flooring, wallcovering, toys, packaging and energy-efficient windows and roofs, the vinyl industry contributes more than 100,000 jobs to the U.S. economy.