Vinyl Cycle

Vinyl Cycle - Vinyl Council Australia

The Vinyl Council of Australia is involved in the post-consumer waste program Vinyl Cycle. This voluntary, industry initiative aims to increase the kerbside collection of PVC bottles across Australia and to recycle these bottles into long life applications such as pipe-fittings and floor coverings. The program was launched nationally in 2000 by the Federal Minister for Environment, Senator Robert Hill.

At that time, only about five per cent of the 6000 tonnes of vinyl bottles produced annually in Australia were being collected at the kerbside, and none of these collected bottles were being recycled in Australia. Today, 94 per cent of all households in Councils with populations of 10,000 or more, have access to recycling services which collect PVC bottles. More than 50 per cent of the PVC bottles produced are recovered at Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF’s) throughout Australia. This means that in just over seven years, around 200 million PVC bottles have been diverted from landfill and the initial 25 per cent recovery target announced at the Vinyl Cycle launch in 2000, has been surpassed.

These achievements have been the result of an active educational campaign over many years with local councils throughout Australia, encouraging them to accept PVC bottles at the kerbside, and with the Materials Recovery Facilities to recover the PVC bottles.

This non-profit project is supported by Plaspak-Peteron, one of the vinyl bottle manufacturers, PVC recycler, CryoGrind, and PVC product manufacturers who purchase the recyclate. Funding is provided by well-known Australian brand owners who use vinyl bottles.

Consumers are encouraged to separate and include PVC bottles – usually carrying the number 3 plastics identification code - in their kerbside recyclables where council collection schemes permit. Check with your Council if you are not sure whether PVC bottles can be included in your recycling bin. If they cannot, ask your Council to consider including PVC.