The European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) has launched a new platform dedicated to the PVC cables value chain.
During the PVC 2017 Conference held in Brighton, UK, 25-27 April, the PVC4cables was launched to bring together the producers of PVC resins, stabilisers and plasticisers.
Based in Brussels, Belgium, PVC4cables will act as “a driver for environmentally responsible innovations in the PVC cables sector,” said an ECVM announcement on 27 April.
Additionally, the platform is set up as a focal point for dialogue and communications with all stakeholders including compounds and cable producers, regulators, specifiers, and the general public.
“Objective of the initiative is to proactively engage in the promotion of PVC cables, highlighting their contribution to sustainable development, as well as their technical and functional benefits for final users and consumers,” the statement added.
Accounting for 46% of the cables market in Europe, PVC is the most used polymer for electric and telecommunication cables. Wires and cables represent today the largest application sector for flexible PVC in Europe, absorbing around 7% of the PVC resins manufactured.
“PVC cables are one of the key application markets in Europe and one of the main sources of recycled PVC,” said Zdenek Hruska, ECVM public affairs senior manager and PVC4cables project manager.
He added that with the creation of the new platform, the ECVM aimed to provide “a valuable point of reference” for the entire PVC cables value chain and its stakeholders.
“Thanks to the European PVC industry's sustainability programmes, the PVC cables value chain is well positioned to steadily moving towards a true model of circular economy,” added Carlo Ciotti, president of the Italian PVC Forum and PVC4cables spokesperson.