The first Southern African Vinyls Association (Sava) Product Stewardship Programme (PSP) survey released on Monday has indicated industry support for the programme, which Sava created in 2012 to address the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry’s extended producer responsibility, but also highlighted the need to refine the PSP and implement a strategy to continue to inspire a higher level of commitment, Sava CEO Delanie Bezuidenhout said on Tuesday.

The PSP focused on five key areas, namely the responsible and sustainable use of additives, a commitment to a responsible and sustainable vinyl recycling programme, ensuring open and effective communications with industry role-players, the public and government to correct perceptions about the science, reality and local applicability of PVC, ensuring industry health through product, market and application opportunities and ensuring a fully functional industry initiative that added value to members and the industry.

“Apart from supporting the five key focus areas of the association, the PSP also set realistic timeframes for the delivery of key undertakings in production, the responsible use of additives and a sustainable recycling programme to ensure a vibrant and sustainable vinyls industry,” Bezuidenhout said.

The PSP survey indicated that, 52% of the respondents felt that the PSP commitments set by Sava were appropriate for addressing the environmental, health and safety issues of PVC products, while 59% of respondents agreed that PSP had had positive impacts on their business and contributed positively to their bottom line.

With regard to the programme’s contribution to a sustainable PVC industry, 67% of respondents felt that the PSP had a positive impact.

Further, 56% of Sava members voted in support of the PSP deadlines and targets, while 41% of the respondents felt their commitment to the PSP had an overall positive impact on their companies and 48% of the PVC companies that were interviewed indicated that the PSP also had a positive impact on some of their customers.

The survey also highlighted that Sava members, in general, continued to face some challenges with regard to the recycling of their products, the formulation of products for customers and in convincing customers that replacement additives were more sustainable, without necessarily sacrificing on cost or quality.

“We are pleased with the outcomes of our first survey, as the results provide us with useful information about how our members view the PSP, where it is working for them, and where it needs to [be] adapted to respond to changes in the local and international market dynamics,” Bezuidenhout said.

She added that the survey has also highlighted that the South African PVC industry was neither unique nor alone in the challenges it faced. 

“The survey has also helped underline the importance of our international alliances and networks with international PVC organisations such as the Global Vinyls Council and the PVC MedAlliance,” Bezuidenhout highlighted.

Sava planned to repeat its survey towards the end of this year to monitor the programme’s progress.