On July 26th Healthy Building Network released Phase 1 of a landmark report on chlorine based plastics that are widely used in common building and construction products. Demand from the building industry now drives the production of chlorine, the key ingredient of PVC widely used in pipes, siding, roofing membranes, wall covering, flooring, and carpeting. It is also an essential feedstock for epoxies used in adhesives and flooring topcoats, and for polyurethane used in insulation and flooring.
The report, “Chlorine and Building Materials: A Global Inventory of Production Technologies, Markets, and Pollution. Phase 1: Africa, The Americas, and Europe,” which includes an interactive map and a detailed inventory spreadsheet, is the first-of-its-kind, plant-by-plant accounting of the production, use, and releases of chlorine and related pollution, including asbestos and mercury. The report was featured in Treehugger; and Fast Company used the report to provide context for a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to gut new asbestos regulations initiated during the Obama administration.