Enviromentally Friendly
Long before recycling became a modern concern, Hyline has valued the importance of being eco-friendly. Over the past 50 years, HYLINE continues to implement environmentally friendly business practices. This includes doing what we can to help create a world where we take better care of the environment, the earth’s resources, and each other. We know this continuous improvement demands commitment: we work diligently to be part of the solution.
With the assistance of innovative technology, vinyl is more adaptable and uses less petroleum and energy resources as compared to the past. Vinyl is more sustainable and can be recycled indefinitely. All our vinyl scraps are sent back to the mill to be recycled which reduces our contribution to the landfills. We are aware of the detrimental environmental effects of products that are available today and constantly look for environmentally friendly options. We avail ourselves to do our part to protect the environment and as such we strive to recycle all materials we use for manufacturing, packaging, and shipping.
Are products containing vinyl or PVC safe for the environment?
Yes. Recent studies have shown that vinyl products are as safe and environmentally acceptable throughout their life (from extraction of materials to recycling/disposal) as other commonly used materials – and, in fact, can be better than some alternatives. Most recently, the European Commission concluded a comprehensive review of 250 life-cycle assessments of PVC and competing materials. The Commission found that vinyl products offer environmental benefits equal to or better than those of other materials. The manufacture of vinyl uses as little as one-third the energy of alternative materials. In packaging alone, vinyl saves the equivalent of 2 million barrels of oil per year compared to a common, competing material. Its manufacture also releases less carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) than many competing materials. Almost all the scrap generated in the manufacture of vinyl products is recycled back into the next production run.
Vinyl Makes Life Safer
Used for more than 60 years, vinyl ranks as the third-largest volume plastic produced in North America. Without vinyl, in North America we would spend $20 billion more to find alternative materials for its many uses — and they almost certainly would not perform as well. An incredibly versatile plastic, vinyl, also known as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is produced from chlorine and ethylene. With the addition of other additives, vinyl can be flexible, rigid or anything in between; transparent or colorful; thick or thin. Vinyl’s versatility enables it to be made into a variety of products — from pipe, siding, flooring and windows to medical devices, protective sports gear and other products that make life safer.