SHOW THE WORLD. GAIN THE EDGE. EARN THE MARK.

SHOW THE WORLD. GAIN THE EDGE. EARN THE MARK.

BE PROUD. WE ARE VINYL.

In a short time, we leveraged science and ingenuity to achieve remarkable environmental and health safety advancements. And we continue to improve our products and operations each year, proving vinyl to be what we always knew it was – indispensable.

Now, let’s show the world our material advantage and gain a competitive advantage. Earn the mark and help yourself and your industry elevate vinyl to its rightful position as a preferred material for a sustainable tomorrow.

DOWNLOAD INFORMATIONAL PACKET

Vinyl's ambient dioxin emissions have decreased by 52% since 2009*

PVC represents only 3.6% of all plastics landfilled

In 2017, OSHA recordable injuries decreased by 30% in facilities operated by Vinyl Institute members

Since 1987, PVC resin production has nearly doubled. Yet, in that time, VCM ambient emissions have decreased by 86%*

Emissions to water have declined from 0.2% in 1987 to 0.01% in 2017*

WHAT "THE MARK" IS
AND WHY YOU SHOULD EARN IT

The powerful new symbol of sustainable vinyl, the +Vantage Vinyl® verified mark signals to the world that the company bearing the mark meets environmental, health, and social criteria as verified by GreenCircle Certified, LLC, an independent third-party.

+Vantage Vinyl Verified

EARNING +VANTAGE VINYL
VERIFICATION CAN HELP:

What you get with
+Vantage Vinyl
Verification

Framework

FRAMEWORK

Access to an industry-proven process to track, verify, and advance your sustainability efforts.

Marketing

MARKETING

Use of the +Vantage Vinyl name, trademark, images, and intellectual property to set your company apart.

Research

RESEARCH

Access to information to help you advance continuous improvement efforts in the top three impact areas identified by stakeholders.

Collaboration

COLLABORATION

Access to industry leading task forces for brainstorming and sharing best practices and lessons learned.

Results &
Reporting

RESULTS & REPORTING

Use of benchmarking data to identify where your company excels and where to focus.

Member
Networking

MEMBER NETWORKING

Connecting with other +Vantage Vinyl verified companies across the supply chain for collaboration on new and sustainable solutions.

HOW TO EARN THE MARK

Unlike other programs, +Vantage Vinyl verification isn’t just window dressing. Instead, companies earning the prestigious mark must report on sustainability performance every year and be reverified every three years to maintain their mark.

The +Vantage Vinyl initiative is framed around five pillars aligned with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria. Within each pillar are a series of guiding principles that set the direction and parameters for what a company will achieve over time on its journey of continuous improvement. The guiding principles support improved industry performance across three material impact categories: resource efficiency, emissions, and health and safety.

For companies with an existing ESG initiative, +Vantage Vinyl verification is the logical next step. For companies who have yet to embark on ESG, the +Vantage Vinyl initiative can become the basis for your ESG program.

  • Reduce releases to the environment

    To reduce emissions to water, air, and soil

    Use land and other natural resources prudently to protect biodiversity and ecosystems

    To prevent releases of product to the environment

    Implement water reuse and conservation practices to reduce the depletion of water resources and thereby support the availability of clean water

    To conserve water

  • Support third-party water and sanitation conservation and development programs

    To increase the availability of clean water and sanitation

    Demonstrate a commitment to improving the energy and greenhouse gas emission profile of PVC products

    To reduce end-product embodied carbon

    Minimize waste

    Pathway 1: Divert materials from landfill
    Pathway 2: Reduce overall waste generation from a facility

    Reduce managed volumes that are landfilled

  • Reuse, recycling, and recovery in accordance with sustainable materials management principles throughout the vinyl value chain

    To reduce carbon footprint through recycled products

    Responsibly recycle products that contain RoHS metals and/or other regulated additives

    Safe use and conversion of post-consumer recycled materials into own products

    Employ responsible sourcing practices that encourage supplier reductions in environmental impacts and minimal use of natural resources with positive lifecycle implications

    To document a sourcing procurement policy

  • Provide open disclosure of additives in PVC products

    To disclose information on additives used in PVC products to stakeholders upon request

    Manufacture safe and user-friendly products and consider potential effects throughout the product life cycle

    To create a transparent policy for safer product manufacturing

    Use of environmental and safety management systems and operational best practices that minimize risk to employees

    To document evidence of implementing best manufacturing practices

  • Avoid the use of lead, hexavalent chromium, and cadmium as added ingredients in vinyl components

    Avoid substances of concern in PVC products

    Avoid the use of VCM that relies on mercury as a catalyst or reactant in any part of the process.

    Avoid substances of concern in PVC products

    Safely employ additives based on current data and scientific assessment methodologies.

    To ensure the safe manufacture and use of PVC products

  • Provide ready and easy-to-understand access to relevant information about the company’s compensation, benefits, recognition, and incentive opportunities that meet the changing needs of employees

    To encourage transparent communications with employees regarding employment and benefits

    Commit to recruiting, developing, and promoting a diverse workforce while respecting the fundamental values and dignity of all individuals

    To ensure equal employment opportunity practices

    Subscribe to corporate governance policies that are opposed to discrimination, child labor, bribery and corruption, human trafficking, and forced labor

    To avoid discrimination and exploitation of any population segment

  • Contribute to charitable outreach in the communities in which we operate

    To participate with charities in the community

    Pilot: Use of the Sustainability Scorecard Tool

    Safe manufacture and use of PVC products

Treat suppliers, customers, and business partners fairly and ethically through honest and mutually beneficial dealings

To encourage transparent and ethical business practices

Promote open and fair competition throughout industry and in dealing with other business entities, regulators, and government officials. This includes compliance with competition and antitrust laws

To promote open and fair competition

Establish sustainability as a criterion in identifying research and development and innovation projects

To include sustainability as a criteria when evaluating R&D projects or capital projects

Establish resource conservation and material efficiency when setting business strategy objectives and goals

Integrate resource conservation and efficiency in business planning

Work within the industry to find solutions, create pilot programs, identify opportunities, and implement them for sustainability-driven advances and innovation

To foster industry collaboration

Engage external stakeholders in development of company sustainability programs

To gather external stakeholder input in company sustainability programs

Promote industry and company's vinyl sustainability work

Promote the advancement of vinyl sustainability programming

Provide company operational performance metrics in annual survey for use in industry reporting

To gather data to measure progress against goals

Communicate company sustainability initiatives

To create sustainability initiative transparency

  • ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

  • Reduce releases to the environment

    To reduce emissions to water, air, and soil

    Use land and other natural resources prudently to protect biodiversity and ecosystems

    To prevent releases of product to the environment

    Implement water reuse and conservation practices to reduce the depletion of water resources and thereby support the availability of clean water

    To conserve water

    Support third-party water and sanitation conservation and development programs

    To increase the availability of clean water and sanitation

    Demonstrate a commitment to improving the energy and greenhouse gas emission profile of PVC products

    To reduce end-product embodied carbon

    Minimize waste

    Pathway 1: Divert materials from landfill

    Pathway 2: Reduce overall waste generation from a facility

    Reduce managed volumes that are landfilled

    Reuse, recycling, and recovery in accordance with sustainable materials management principles throughout the vinyl value chain

    To reduce carbon footprint through recycled products

    Responsibly recycle products that contain RoHS metals and/or other regulated additives

    Safe use and conversion of post-consumer recycled materials into own products

    Employ responsible sourcing practices that encourage supplier reductions in environmental impacts and minimal use of natural resources with positive lifecycle implications

    To document a sourcing procurement policy

  • SOCIAL DILIGENCE

  • Provide open disclosure of additives in PVC products

    To disclose information on additives used in PVC products to stakeholders upon request

    Manufacture safe and user-friendly products and consider potential effects throughout the product life cycle

    To create a transparent policy for safer product manufacturing

    Use of environmental and safety management systems and operational best practices that minimize risk to employees

    To document evidence of implementing best manufacturing practices

    Avoid the use of lead, hexavalent chromium, and cadmium as added ingredients in vinyl components

    Avoid substances of concern in PVC products

    Avoid the use of VCM that relies on mercury as a catalyst or reactant in any part of the process.

    Avoid substances of concern in PVC products

    Safely employ additives based on current data and scientific assessment methodologies.

    To ensure the safe manufacture and use of PVC products

    Provide ready and easy-to-understand access to relevant information about the company’s compensation, benefits, recognition, and incentive opportunities that meet the changing needs of employees

    To encourage transparent communications with employees regarding employment and benefits

    Commit to recruiting, developing, and promoting a diverse workforce while respecting the fundamental values and dignity of all individuals

    To ensure equal employment opportunity practices

    Subscribe to corporate governance policies that are opposed to discrimination, child labor, bribery and corruption, human trafficking, and forced labor

    To avoid discrimination and exploitation of any population segment

    Contribute to charitable outreach in the communities in which we operate

    To participate with charities in the community

    Commit to recruiting, developing, and promoting a diverse workforce while respecting the fundamental values and dignity of all individuals

    To ensure equal employment opportunity practices

    Subscribe to corporate governance policies that are opposed to discrimination, child labor, bribery and corruption, human trafficking, and forced labor

    To avoid discrimination and exploitation of any population segment

    Pilot: Use of the Additivies Sustainability Scorecard Tool

    Safe manufacture and use of PVC products

  • ECONOMIC SOUNDNESS

  • Treat suppliers, customers, and business partners fairly and ethically through honest and mutually beneficial dealings

    To encourage transparent and ethical business practices

    Promote open and fair competition throughout industry and in dealing with other business entities, regulators, and government officials. This includes compliance with competition and antitrust laws

    To promote open and fair competition

    Establish sustainability as a criterion in identifying research and development and innovation projects

    To include sustainability as a criteria when evaluating R&D projects or capital projects

    Establish resource conservation and material efficiency when setting business strategy objectives and goals

    Integrate resource conservation and efficiency in business planning

  • COLLABORATION

  • Work within the industry to find solutions, create pilot programs, identify opportunities, and implement them for sustainability-driven advances and innovation

    To foster industry collaboration

    Engage external stakeholders in development of company sustainability programs

    To gather external stakeholder input in company sustainability programs

  • OPEN COMMUNICATIONS

  • Promote industry and company's vinyl sustainability work

    Promote the advancement of vinyl sustainability programming

    Provide company operational performance metrics in annual survey for use in industry reporting

    To gather data to measure progress against goals

    Communicate company sustainability initiatives

    To create sustainability initiative transparency

TAKE THE FIRST
STEP TODAY

+Vantage Vinyl verification is open to any company in the vinyl supply chain who is also a member of the Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC). If your company is not yet a member of the VSC, join today and take the first step toward earning the mark.

Your membership in the VSC accelerates your company’s path to verification through a host of support services, sustainability resources, and networking opportunities.

Interested? Download the Informational Packet by filling out the form below.

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