PVC industry drives circular economy forward

VinylPlus Progress Report 2026

At the 14th VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2026 in Genval, Belgium, current issues were discussed and the revised 2030 voluntary commitment was presented.


Despite a volatile market environment characterised by high energy and raw material costs, VinylPlus Deutschland reports rising recycling rates and is adapting its strategic guidelines to the changed regulatory environment. As the initiative reports on the 14th VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2026, the central question at the meeting of the European PVC value chain with policy-makers, representatives of UN non-governmental organisations, academics and leading industry representatives was how Europe can reconcile competitiveness and sustainability in an increasingly complex global environment. Furthermore, according to VinylPlus Deutschland, the focus was on three topics which, from the industry’s perspective, are of crucial importance for Europe’s future: water resilience, affordable housing and sustainability. For example, modern, efficient and durable infrastructure would be essential for maintaining and expanding resilient municipal water supplies. The PVC value chain contributed to this by providing durable, corrosion-resistant and low-leakage pipework systems. These are used in both drinking water and wastewater networks and could help to reduce water losses, maintenance costs and resource consumption.
 
Furthermore is ssid that the revised 2030 Pledge was also presented at the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2026. According to the information provided, the industry’s pledge was reviewed in early 2026. Progress towards the programme’s targets was said to be assessed, taking into account evolving regulatory, technological and market developments. The revised commitment, which reaffirms the industry’s long-term ambitions, continues to place a strong emphasis on the circular economy and CO₂ reduction, including the target of using at least one million tonnes of recycled PVC in new products by 2030. It also reinforces the focus on product sustainability, life-cycle performance and the contribution to climate targets.
 
Charlotte Röber, Managing Director of VinylPlus, emphasised the resilience of the established collection and recycling chains. This is said to be demonstrated by the 2025 results in the new VinylPlus® Progress Report. PVC recycling volumes have risen by 5.7 per cent compared with 2024, and measurable progress has been made towards climate and sustainability targets. The new VinylPlus® Progress Report 2026, the summary “VinylPlus at a Glance 2026” and the Mid-Term Review of the VinylPlus 2030 Pledge can be downloaded from the VinylPlus Deutschland website. According to the report, the progress report also highlights several activities undertaken by VinylPlus Deutschland that have contributed to achieving the sustainability targets.
 
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