The Healthy Building Network has completed Phase 2 of its landmark report on chlorine based plastics that are widely used in common building and construction products. The report, “​Chlorine and Building Materials: A Global Inventory of Production Technologies, Markets, and Pollution. Phase 2: Asia,”​ completes HBN’s global analysis of the industry.  

Chlorine is the key ingredient of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) widely used in pipes, siding, roofing membranes, wall covering, flooring, and carpeting. Chlorine is also an essential feedstock for epoxies used in adhesives and flooring topcoats, and for polyurethane used in insulation and flooring. Different technologies used to manufacture chlorine and PVC use a variety of the world’s most problematic chemicals. A necessary first step towards reducing the environmental health impacts of chlorine is to create a public global inventory of chlorine, vinyl chloride monomer and PVC producers. 

Healthy Building Network’s Chlorine & Building Materials project delivers an open access accounting of the technologies, markets, and pollution associated with chlorine production around the world.

• Phase 1 of this project (released in July 2018) covered North and South America, Africa, and Europe. 
• Phase 2 (released in March 2019) covers Asia and includes global findings. It details 60 chlor-alkali plants and 52 PVC plants in Asia, and summarizes global findings. 

The Chlorine & Building Materials project was supported in part by subscribers to our Subscription Research program. Current subscribers include: Carnegie, Designtex, Humanscale, Interface, Metroflor/Halstead, and Tarkett.

Do you have a research topic that would benefit multiple stakeholders? Building product manufacturers and others can “crowd-fund” research through HBN’s Subscription Research program. For further information, including subscriber benefits, please contact subscriptions@healthybuilding.net. If you are interested in supporting HBN Research, donate today.

Download the Phase 2 report using the "download report" button above, and see supplemental information below.

Report Documents:

• Chlorine and Building Materials a Global Inventory of Production Technologies, Markets, and Pollution:
  • Phase 1: Africa, The Americas, and Europe
  • Phase 2: Asia including Worldwide Findings
• Spreadsheet: Chlorine & Building Materials Worldwide
• Press Release: HBN Reveals Global Realities of Chlorine and PVC Production
• Map: HBN Map of Chlorine & PVC Resin Factories