London 2012 is calling on the PVC/vinyl industry to help them find sustainable solutions for PVC/vinyl needed for venues to be used in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London and other United Kingdom cities and towns July 27 to Aug. 12, 2012, and the 2012 Paralympic Games will be held Aug. 29 to Sept. 9.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) have already worked closely to ensure that materials such as timber, aggregates and concrete are sustainably sourced where they are needed across the project.

Both organizations are now following the same approach to seek the highest environmental and social standards for the PVC/vinyl materials needed for temporary buildings such as the Basketball Arena, and for the temporary components of permanent venues including the Olympic Stadium.

Philip Law, public and industrial affairs director for the British Plastics Federation, expressed his eagerness to work with the ODA and LOCOG on their sustainability objectives.

"We welcome the challenge from London 2012 and the opportunity to demonstrate that temporary uses of PVC can be re-used or recycled after use," Law said. "This is a clear signal that PVC is a leading candidate for use in iconic buildings and structures on the Olympic Park and that the sustainability benefits of PVC can potentially be showcased for the world to see." The British Plastics Federation is the UK trade association for the plastics industry.

The Olympic Board has agreed on a policy that sets stringent specifications for the manufacturing, use, and disposal of PVC fabrics where this is considered the most appropriate material available for a specific use.

ODA Head of Sustainable Development Dan Epstein, said, "As we have done in the past, we want to use the opportunity of hosting the London 2012 Games to work with industry to set new standards. In this case this may help move the industry towards a more sustainable manufacture, use, and disposal of PVC fabrics."

He continued, "We are putting in place stringent controls and audit processes to ensure that where we need to use PVC fabrics, it is done in an environmentally friendly way with an emphasis on recycled content and 'take back' systems to enable it to be re-used or recycled."

David Stubbs, LOCOG head of sustainability said, "London 2012 will have a greater number of temporary venues than any previous Games or global event. Given our sustainability goals, this represents a unique and exciting opportunity to work with industry to develop new methods and tools for assessing, sourcing, specifying temporary materials, and identifying appropriate reuse and recycling options."

He continued, "This will provide our engineering and design teams with the necessary tools and information to help meet our sustainability objectives and also represents a fantastic legacy opportunity for the event and hospitality sectors."

In its press release, London 2012 noted to editors, "PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is the second most used thermoplastic in the world and has a wide variety of uses because it is strong, malleable, fire-resistant, and light-weight."

A copy of the full Olympic Board Policy Statement relating to the use of PVC for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is available on the London 2012 website.

More information can be obtained from the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office at +44 (0)203 2012 700 or the website at www.london2012.com.

The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC/vinyl resin in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC/vinyl products to society.

For more information on The Vinyl Institute, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
(703) 741-5669
jeff_palmer@plastics.org

Also go to: www.vinylindesign.com and www.vinylnewsservice.com.