Is Vinyl Siding Recyclable?

When most people think of recycling, materials like aluminum, plastic, cardboard, and paper come to mind. Some things, like vinyl, begin to become more questionable as a recyclable item.

Vinyl is a synthetic man-made material. It’s a type of plastic that is made from ethylene (found in crude oil) and chlorine (found in regular salt).  When processed, both the substances are combined to form Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) resin, or as is commonly referred to – “Vinyl.”

According to p2ric.org, “an informal survey conducted by the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI), approximately six percent of the total weight of vinyl siding used each year at job sites is thrown away.”

Based on the sheer number of pounds of vinyl siding shipped in the United Sates each year, millions of pounds of scrap are generated. This scrap material is available for recovery if construction companies and jobsite managers are conscientious enough to recycle it.

Construction companies, project managers, and residents replacing the siding on houses or sheds can help by buying materials wisely and only in quantities that will be used to reduce waste coming out of the project.

If you are a Borden Waste-Away customer, ________.  If you are not a Borden customer, please check with your local recycling center to see if they are equipped to handle vinyl as a recyclable item.

For more information on recycling visit www.wasteawaygroup.com.