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New group focusing on flexible vinyl issues

WASHINGTON (Nov. 19, 1 p.m. ET) -- In response to increased attacks on flexible vinyl products, as well as the phthalates used to soften vinyl to make a variety of plastic products, the industry has formed the Flexible Vinyl Alliance in an effort to respond more quickly to initiatives at the state and local levels.

“We want to activate a grassroots network,” said Kevin Ott, coordinator of the FVA. “We want to get more ears to the ground and add more voices to the debate.” Ott is former executive director of the Film and Bag Federation of the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., where he was involved in the industry’s efforts to defeat plastic bag bans. He now heads his own consulting firm in McLean, Va.

The Phthalate Esters Panel of the American Chemistry Council in Arlington, Va., is providing funding for FVA for its first 18 months, Ott said. The announcement of the formation of FVA was made Nov, 17, but the alliance has been in operation since Sept. 1 and its first steering committee meeting was earlier this month.

Sources said phthalates manufacturer ExxonMobil Chemical Co. was the driving force behind the creation of FVA and that phthalates manufacturers and compounders felt that they needed to develop their own network at the state and local level to address specific issues involving flexible vinyl and phthalates.

“They felt that they weren’t getting enough help defending products that use phthalates as a plasticizer,” said one source.

ExxonMobil is a member of both the Phthalate Esters Panel of ACC and the Vinyl Institute in Alexandria, Va.

The 11-member FVA steering committee includes representatives from PVC compounders, molders fabricators and manufacturers and all three major U.S. phthalate manufacturers. There are also representatives from SPI and the Resilient Floor Covering Institute and Canadian pipe manufacturer Ipex Inc., whose representative, Veso Sebot, is also a member of the 3-year-old Vinyl Promotion Network, an informal group of companies and organizations in the vinyl supply chain with a similar mission of promoting the benefits of vinyl.

The addition of new alliance to help the industry advocate the benefits and sustainability of vinyl was welcomed by VI president Greg Bocchi.

“We look forward to working with them as they address issues of advocacy related to flexible vinyl,” he said, “We have been involved with the FVA since its inception, taking part in all of its organizational meetings.”

Allen Blakey, vice president of industry and government affairs at VI, agreed. “We welcome anyone who wants to promote the benefits of vinyl. We are glad to have another group of people, additional resources and manpower supporting us.”

Ott said one of FVA’s goals is “to create a grassroots network of people at the local and state levels to talk about the benefits of flexible plastic.”

“There is no lack of cogent messages and we are not in competition with other trade groups,” said Ott. “We just want to drill the messages about the benefits of flexible vinyl products to a level that is more local. We are here to assist and coordinate on advocacy” and provide information and messages to manufacturers, retailers and brand owners to enable them to speak out in communities when challenges to flexible vinyl products occur.

Flexible vinyl products, in particular toys and items intended for children, have been the targets of activists who seek to have retailers take those products off their shelves. In addition, earlier this year, a permanent ban on the use of three types of phthalates in products intended for children went into effect in the U.S.

“The FVA wants to provide information to their members so those members can get out and advocate at local and state levels,” which makes sense, said Bocchi. “They want to have a grassroots network specific to flexible vinyl they can call on quickly whenever their products come under attack.”

Ott said the FVA has three main goals.

“We want to inform consumers about what’s happening and the benefits of flexible vinyl products. We want to make sure the value chain of brand owners, retailers and manufacturers have the information they need to discuss those issues with decision-makers and legislators at the grassroots level. And we want to coordinate those activities,” he said.

“We want to help get those messages out to a more diversified audience and down to where they need to be so people in companies can go forward and advocate for the sustainability and about the benefits of flexible vinyl products,” said Ott. “We want companies to have a comfort zone when talking about the benefits of vinyl and get them the information they need to be advocates for their own products.

“We are trying to fill a gap,” he said. “When we see things coming down the pike whether it’s at the state, local or federal level, we want to weigh in and encourage local folks to get involved.”

I agree with Mr Haaf.

I believe PVC is a dangerous product and that much more research should have been done before phthalates were added to it.

All synthetic chemicals should be proven to be safe before they are used in consumer products, especially anything that is designed to be used by children.

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We are a custom fabricator of flexible vinyl products and we receive constant requests from our customers related to the phthalates issues; I am interested in learning how we can proactively assist the group and to learn more about the issues at hand and to positively convey/educate our customer base.

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There is a lot of negative information against PVC, but I can't find a solid conclusion based on real science, just statistic without reliable support. I am afraid of PVC's risk.

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Your message would be a lot better if the production of vinyl polymers did not release Vinyl chloride a known human carcinogen into the surrounding communities. Also the recycling rate for all vinyl products is less than 1%. Tell again why anyone needs this product?

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I would like to learn if there are opportunities to assist in the movement.

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