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The Vinyl Industries New +Vantage Vinyl Program offers significant environmental and social contributions

Sika Sarnafil, the worldwide market leader in thermoplastic roofing and waterproofing membranes, is pleased to announce its dedication to further advancing the environmental benefits of Vinyl in the construction industry and beyond.The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) is launching a groundbreaking initiative to advance and recognize the U.S. vinyl industry as a trusted leader in sustainability. +Vantage Vinyl is a voluntary collaboration of companies in the vinyl value chain committed to proactively advancing sustainable development, reducing their environmental footprint and making a difference by doing more with less. 

“+Vantage Vinyl is the industry’s path to advance sustainable development throughout the supply chain,” said Ned Monroe, president and CEO of the Vinyl Institute. “Vinyl has come together to collaborate, anticipate upcoming challenges and identify a return on investment in sustainability. After three years of work by the Vinyl Sustainability Council, we are proud to announce this game-changing commitment.” 

“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.”

+Vantage Vinyl is the Vinyl Institute’s rigorous, industry-wide approach to sustainability. Galvanizing the industry around sustainability prepares vinyl to meet increasing customer demand for responsibly sourced products and materials.

“For decades, Sika Sarnafil has been recognized as a sustainability leader in the vinyl roofing industry,” said Stanley Graveline, Senior Vice President Technical Services and Sustainability for Sika Sarnafil and the Chairman of the Vinyl Sustainability Council. “We are proud to have Sika Sarnafil be one of the first companies certified in the new, groundbreaking +Vantage Vinyl program.”

Participants in +Vantage Vinyl will set and meet annual goals in three priority impact areas: landfill diversion, health and safety, and 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. Membership is voluntary and open to U.S. vinyl value chain companies that are resin suppliers, raw material/additive suppliers, material compounders, end-product manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, recyclers, and distributors. Inaugural +Vantage Vinyl members include Oxy, Shintech, Westlake Chemical, Formosa Plastics, Sika Sarnafil, Chemours, Mexichem, and PolyOne. The new initiative officially launched June 4, 2019, at the Sustainable Brands conference in Detroit, Michigan.