WASHINGTON -- December 7 -- The United States is facing a
looming waste crisis with a conservative estimate of 70 billion
pounds of PVC plastic (polyvinyl chloride) slated for disposal
in the next decade. Disposal rates are expected to sharply
increase as an estimated 125 billion pounds of PVC installed in
the last 40 years in construction and other long lasting uses
will need to be disposed of as it reaches the end of its useful
life. This pervasive poison plastic is used in thousands of
products including pipes, building materials (such as vinyl
siding), consumer products (such as toys or tablecloths) and
disposable packaging, and cannot be disposed of safely. From
1966 to 2002, an estimated 250 billion pounds of PVC was used in
the U.S., with a doubling of use in the past 15 years alone. A
new report, PVC: Bad News Come in Threes, documents the health
and environmental hazards during manufacturing, product use and
disposal, and provides detailed state and national estimates on
PVC waste incinerated and lan