Achieving Clarity: Why Verification Matters
Raising the Bar on Sustainability in the Vinyl Industry
Across the vinyl industry, manufacturers face growing complexity when claiming they operate sustainably. One key driving force is a more educated, inquisitive customer seeking verifiable sustainability credentials and greater transparency. Those customers – whether they are other businesses or individuals purchasing something off a store shelf – are more sensitive to the practice of greenwashing, where a manufacturer claims to produce sustainable products or support sustainable practices but cannot pinpoint the appropriate sources of authority to solidify those claims.
This heightened level of scrutiny has created the need for a higher benchmark. To effectively claim the title of a sustainable enterprise, a manufacturer must go beyond demonstrating that their product is sustainable. Can they point to sustainable practices throughout the entire supply chain connected to the creation of the product?
Greater focus on sustainability has increased interest in doing business with companies that share similar values. Among the qualifying questions consumers ask:
- How do I know this company's products are sustainable? What are the proof points, and how far do they go?
- What is available to verify this company's sustainable claims?
- What is this company's culture and level of commitment to sustainability? How do I know they are working towards certain goals? For instance, are they seeking to be net zero? On what time horizon?
Even if the company shares the values the customer deems essential, what about other companies along its supply chain? For example, is the business sourcing its materials from the best choice?
In this new era, consumers of every kind are now looking for easily digestible information that will quickly answer their questions. As a vinyl products manufacturer, one way to reduce uncertainty and earn credibility with your prospects and customers is to achieve independent, third-party verification.
+Vantage Vinyl®: A Credible Proof Point
The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) has created +Vantage Vinyl®, a system that verifies a company's integrated efforts to achieve sustainability in its operations and practices. When a company achieves this verification, it signifies to the marketplace that the organization is focused on using more sustainable practices to make a long-term impact on its communities, the environment, and the world at large.
Companies that voluntarily participate in the +Vantage Vinyl initiative must demonstrate their contribution to industry progress and continuous improvement in sustainability across three pillars: social, economic, and environmental. Verification through GreenCircle Certified, LLC authenticates and reports on the activities and key performance indicators achieved by each company within the five sustainability pillars: environmental stewardship, social diligence, economic soundness, collaboration, and open communications.
Applicants are required to provide supporting documentation that backs up their sustainability claims. Through GreenCircle Certified, detailed questionnaires completed by the applicant undergo an in-depth review process to ascertain compliance in each of the sustainability pillars: environmental, social, and governance.
+Vantage Vinyl brings a unique value to the industry. Verification is specific to company operations and is applicable to the entire vinyl value chain. Because it is validated by a third party, +Vantage Vinyl goes well beyond self-reported claims of sustainability and can serve as a credible endorsement of a company's commitment to sustainability.
Ultimately, verification for vinyl companies via +Vantage Vinyl means those enterprises have offered credible proof of their sustainability efforts, data points carefully scrutinized and confirmed by professionals that sit outside the company's four walls.
Effective Communication
Vinyl manufacturers can employ various methods to communicate their commitment to sustainability. Some of the more popular approaches include ensuring sustainability messaging is carefully integrated into their website, briefing their sales teams and updating materials to include this messaging, or touting their sustainability credentials on their social media feed.
However, there is a major drawback to these options. The organization is describing itself.
This is why third-party verification is so vital. Securing verification through a program such as +Vantage Vinyl is a surefire way to set a company apart from its competitors. By being +Vantage Vinyl verified, that company solidifies its commitment to sustainability in a way that consumers can easily digest. When companies choose to Earn the Mark, they remove any ambiguity about their sustainability credentials. It conveys to any existing or future customers that the company has met a high bar for sustainability initiatives.
Vestolit, a PVC resin manufacturer and a +Vantage Vinyl-verified company, has taken the steps to solidify its commitment to improving sustainable practices. Vestolit demonstrates a commitment to sustainable development, offering products produced with non-fossil-based resources, and active initiatives to promote a circular economy. Embodying the idea of whole-system sustainability, Vestolit continues its commitment to producing premium PVC.
Ecosystem of Like-Minded Companies
Becoming +Vantage Vinyl verified has additional benefits beyond just effectively communicating a company's commitment to sustainability. All verified companies join a like-minded group that shares DNA. They are continuously striving to advance their sustainability efforts.
The benefit: Companies who are +Vantage Vinyl verified can bolster a sense of community in building trust among other manufacturers in the industry through collaboration and transparency. These companies tend to do business with each other, as they consider other +Vantage Vinyl companies to be ones with like-minded values.
Collapse the Conversation: Earn the Mark
In nearly every boardroom of every company, sustainability is a key topic of consideration. In the vinyl industry, rapidly evolving mandates and consumer demands dictate that manufacturers get serious about their sustainability journey – in how they conduct business, in how they manufacture products, in how they manage their operations, in how they consume energy, and in how they work to partner with the communities that they serve.
Telling its customers that a company is sustainable and produces sustainable products no longer wins the day. Demonstrating a company's commitment to sustainable practices via third-party verification through a program such as +Vantage Vinyl cuts through the clutter.
Consumers and other companies no longer have to wonder whether sustainability claims can be quantified. Third-party verification delivers clarity and certainty, and that produces peace of mind.
