From Chemical and Engineering News:
"PVC: Is It Really a "Poison Plastic"?
Nancy_McGuire
PVC recycling symbol
On December 8, the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice and the Environmental Health Strategy Center issued a report entitled "PVC: Bad News Comes in 3s", referring to the recycling code for poly(vinyl chloride).
The report was financed by foundation grants and reviewed by representatives from environmental institutes and advocacy organizations. It conveys five major findings:
· As much as 7 billion pounds of PVC are discarded annually in the United States,
· Of this amount, more than 2 billion pounds come from nondurable products discarded in household trash,
· Nondurable products account for more than 70% of the PVC in municipal solid waste in the United States (as distinct from medical waste, construction waste, and demolition debris),
· PVC is the largest source of phthalates and chlorine in solid waste, and
· Worldwide, an estimated 300 billion pounds of durable PVC products will soon reach the end of their 30- to 40-year life span and require replacement and disposal..."
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_pro.html?id=c373e900e010c81c8f6a17245d830100