PIPA and the Environment
Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia Ltd
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PIPA and the Environment
Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia Ltd
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PVC shows environmental benefits in life cycle studies A recently released study of environmental life cycle analyses (LCA) of vinyl by the European Commission finds that vinyl can offer environmental benefits equal to or better than those of other materials for a variety of applications. According to the report, the results on pipes are very heterogeneous. Some studies see clear advantages for concrete, some report clear advantages for polymer pipes such as PVC and PE, some conclude that the material plays no role as long as no cast iron is chosen. Product applications do play a critical part in LCA studies. Most of the studies do not take into account installation and maintenance of pipes. The study drew some general conclusions on the environmental impacts of pipes, as summarised below.
These processes are expected to be relevant, at the very least, for underground pipes due to secondary energy use and the emissions associated with digging and laying.
The paper states that this finding is often valid for all kinds of products, but when interpreting comparative results one has to take into consideration, that the reduction of a certain mass of different materials (PVC pipe and concrete pipe reduced by x kg) leads to a reduction of most environmental issues. The density, transport and laying efforts as well as avoided production (due to the saved material) often differ significantly for each of the different materials.
One study in Europe states that recycling rates are very low, at only 3% of available post-consumer waste, mainly due to high collection, separation and processing costs. Construction products, including PVC pipes, can be distinguished in post-consumer waste and recycling systems can be developed.
The report notes that the ecological impact of leakage from waste water pipes is not irrelevant. Leakage is associated with Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in emissions of waste water in the use phase. The COD when associated with inorganic and organic compounds of the waste water, can be large compared to the emissions from the production phase. The sewage pipe study stresses that it should be kept in mind that PVC pipes have a proven lifetime of more than 50 years, due to their durability (stabilisers). This has an indirect but important effect on resource saving (eg less maintenance and renewal). Therefore, it is important that all alternatives, especially concrete, can provide this durability in practice.
One study concluded that PVC pipes for drinking water and waste water have more favourable prospects in the short term than the alternatives made of vitrified clay or cast iron, but not in comparison to HDPE pipes. In the medium term, the prospects for both plastics pipes (PVC and HDPE) are more favourable. Due to possible improvements in design, measures for saving materials and - to a limited extent - for recycling, a reduction of the risks can be achieved, in particular in the ecological sphere and in energy consumption. The same study further concludes that the sustainability of products (or materials) cannot be seen as an absolute, it is always a ‘relative contribution to the sustainability of the entire system’ in comparison to other, alternative products. Vinyl2010 is quoted as saying, Strong and leak proof, PVC piping systems help reduce drinking water losses and sewage pollution - even in contaminated soils that would corrode many other materials. PVC Pipes in Australia The LCAs considered in the study are European based and it is important to note the situation in Australia where the following differences occur.
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