What about PVC Packaging?

Polyolefin materials for packaging are growing in popularity because of reductions in cost, increased flexibility in design options and a much lower environmental impact than PVC substrates. At their end-of-life, polyolefins are biodegradable; they release carbon and hydrogen. Typically, chlorine makes up 57% of PVC resin by weight, the rest being carbon and hydrogen. (Polyolefins produced from accesspoly have no chlorine.)

The European Economic Community (EEC) has drastically restricted the use of PVC plastics due to the environmental damage they can cause. PVC is composed of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine. When disposed of by burning, PVC generates deadly chlorine gas, hydrochloric acid. Historically, the remaining ash contains heavy metals such as cadmium and lead which were at one time widely used as plastic stabilizers. As one source noted, "a recent article in Plastics Engineering reports that 15% of all the cadmium in municipal solid waste incinerator ash comes from PVC products. Lead also continues to be used in large-diameter pipes and in insulation for electrical cables."

With polyolefins a company possesses all the benefits of new design capabilities and distinctive packaging techniques that can make its product stand out, and wield the option of establishing a theme of environmental sensitivity to positively differentiate its products and services from competitors.