The first voluntary commitment of the European PVC industry is signed by ECVM (vinyl resin producers), ECPI (currently European Plasticisers - PVC plasticiser producers), ESPA (PVC stabiliser producers) and EuPC (PVC converters).

Vinyl 2010 is officially born with support from ECVM, ECPI, ESPA and EuPC .

The use of cadmium in all PVC stabiliser systems placed on the EU-15 market, as well as Norway and Switzerland, was phased out in March 2001.

ESPA members commit to carrying out initial risk assessments on lead-based stabilisers under the CEFIC and ICCA (International Council of Chemical Associations) programmes ’Confidence in Chemicals’.

ESPA members commit to a plan for full replacement of lead-based stabilisers by 2015 in EU-15.

6% reduction in lead-based stabilisers use in the first two years.

Recovinyl is set-up to boost PVC recycling across Europe including applications containing lead stabilisers.

First interim target of a 15% lead-based stabilisers reduction was achieved in 2004 – one year ahead of the original schedule.
Consumption of calcium organic stabilisers doubled between 2000 and 2004.

Voluntary Risk Assessment on lead and lead-based compounds was carried out by independent experts and finalised in 2005 and the experts submitted it to the European Commission. Results show that – with respect to the general population – there is no need for concern from environmental exposure to lead and lead-based compounds, but also that occupational exposure in PVC stabiliser plants should be further reduced.

ESPA members agree to implement a programme, called LiBRE (Lead in Blood Reduction Programme), aiming at reducing worker’s exposure.

ESPA members achieved a reduction of 20.2% from 127,156 tonnes in 2000 to 101,519 tonnes by end 2005.

Sales of cadmium stabilisers come to an end in all EU-25.

The European Commission started the review of the Voluntary Risk Assessment on lead in March 2006.

Following the EU enlargement, the commitment to phase out lead-based stabilisers by 2015 is extended to the EU-27.
ESPA members achieved a 34% reduction in the use of lead-based stabilisers in the period 2000-2007 in the EU-15.

ESPA members report that lead-based stabiliser use in the EU-15 has been reduced by over 50% since 2000 (-66,552 tonnes), some two years ahead of the 2010 interim target.

For EU-27, this represents a decrease of 27,000 tonnes in production of lead-based stabilisers compared to 2007.

ESPA successfully reached the 50% lead-based stabilisers reduction in 2008, ahead of the 2010 interim target.
In 2009, lead-based stabilisers in the EU-15 decreased by 86,835 tonnes (-68.3%).

In the same period, 2007-2009, calcium-based stabilisers (in the EU-15) increased by 47,864 tonnes.

It has to be mentioned that the impact of the economic crisis affected the PVC consumption and consequently, the PVC stabilisers figures as well. This has also contributed to the year 2009 lead-based stabilisers’ decrease.

For EU-27, this represents a decrease of 51,070 tonnes in production of lead-based stabilisers compared to 2007.

ESPA members announced a further reduction in lead-based stabilisers use in the EU-15, having decreased 75.9% (-96,448 tonnes) since 2000.

In the same period, calcium-based stabilisers (in EU-15 plus Norway, Switzerland and Turkey) increased by 60,171 tonnes.

VinylPlus, the new 10-year sustainable development programme of the European PVC industry is launched to give continuity to the work of Vinyl 2010. ESPA reaffirms its commitments and continues as one of the four founding members.

The commitment to replace lead-based stabilisers in EU27 by 2015 is reconfirmed by the VinylPlus members.

A number of new initiatives are launched within the VinylPlus framework, i.e. Additives Task Force to work out robust criteria for the ‘sustainable use of additives’.

A reduction of 71.4% in the consumption of lead-based stabilisers is achieved by ESPA’s members in EU27 compared to 2007.

In the period 2007-2012, lead-based stabiliser consumption decreased by 76,364 tonnes (-76. 37%) in the EU-27.

In the same period, calcium-based stabilisers (in EU-27 plus Norway, Switzerland and Turkey) increased by 29,470 tonnes.

Other PVC additives producers and downstream value chain are invited to participate in the “sustainable additives” initiative.

The use of lead-based stabilisers declined by 81,372 tonnes (-81.4%) in the EU-27 compared to 2007.

Calcium-based stabilisers increased by 30,643 tonnes in the EU-27 plus Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

The commitment to substitute lead-based stabilisers by 2015 is extended to the EU-28 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom).

In the 2007-2014 period, lead-based stabilisers usage decreased by 86,228 tonnes (- 86%), and calcium-based stabilisers increased by 29,472 tonnes.

ESPA members completed the replacement of lead-based stabilisers by the end 2015 in EU-28, as part of the VinylPlus Voluntary Commitment.

The close collaboration of manufacturers, converters and downstream users was critical to the success of replacing lead-based stabilisers with more sustainable alternatives.