New Tufts Report Concludes Vinyl Isn't Cheap, Economic Analysis Supports Phase-out for Environmentally Hazardous Vinyl

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Febuary 4, 2004

Vinyl may have a cheap look and feel, but cost-wise, it's no less expensive than alternative materials that are safer for people and the environment, reveals a new report released today by Tufts University researchers. The report, “The Economics of Phasing Out Vinyl” concludes the economic advantages of vinyl or PVC are overstated, and that substituting vinyl with safer alternatives is cost-effective and practical.

“The American public has been sold a short-sighted and wildly exaggerated claim about the economic benefits of vinyl. In the long run, vinyl is no bargain at all,” said lead author Frank Ackerman, director of the Research and Policy Program, Global Development and Environment Institute, at Tufts University. “Our analysis shows phasing out vinyl in favor of safer alternatives makes good sense from an economic perspective,” Ackerman said.

The report compares the cost of common vinyl products, including roofing, flooring, pipes, medical devices and siding. In many cases, a vinyl product that looks cheaper than alternatives, based on the price tag alone, is actually more expensive based on life cycle costing - that is, the total cost to the user for purchase, maintenance, and disposal over a fixed number of years. “In all product categories we looked at, affordable alternatives are available,” Ackerman said.

The by-products of vinyl production are highly persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, including lead, mercury, and the potent human carcinogen dioxin, for which there is no known safe dose. Nations around the world and several U.S. cities have taken steps to avoid vinyl products in favor of safer alternatives. This month, the U.S. Green Building Council, which has created the nation's leading green building standards, will initiate a process to consider whether green credits should be issued to buildings that avoid vinyl.

For a copy of the Tufts report, visit www.healthybuilding.net.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Frank Ackerman, Tufts University (617)-627-6957

OR VISIT:
The Ecology Center's Dioxin & Environmental Health page.