New publication: Pollutant-related challenges for PVC cycles in the construction sector in Germany

Around three quarters of PVC is used in the construction industry. Compared to production volumes, PVC waste volumes from this sector are relatively low. This can be explained by the longevity of construction products. The long time spans between production and disposal mean that today's PVC waste reflects the PVC production of decades ago - both quantitatively and in terms of the substances it contains. So-called historical contamination from substances used in past PVC production that are now regulated pose a challenge to establishing clean PVC cycles today and in the future.

In order to investigate pollutant-related challenges for PVC recycling in the construction sector, the study analysed regulatory framework conditions, characterized plastics from construction waste and modelled flows and stocks of PVC and the substances it contains in a dynamic material flow analysis.

The publication can be accessed via the following link (Open Access): https://doi.org/10.1007/s00506-024-01057-0

The publication was produced as part of the IMMEC research project, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG - project number 490612391) and the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR - 2021 CORE Call).