ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 13,  2007 (VNS) – The Vinyl Institute said today it would launch an aggressive information campaign for retailers and packagers aimed at providing facts about PVC’s safety and benefits.

“We need to do a better job of publicly showing the proof of PVC’s safety, energy efficiency and other benefits,” said Tim Burns, president of VI.

Studies show PVC production protects workers and communities, and the manufacture of PVC packaging and other products uses less energy and emits fewer greenhouse gases than other plastics. PVC is more than half derived from naturally abundant salt. PVC packaging meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s stringent safety requirements and has a 50-year track record of safe, reliable use.

Burns said a statement this week by Sears/K-Mart announcing concerns about PVC packaging and products showed the need for better communication of the facts. “Some companies are being pressured and misled into having doubts about PVC. The superior safety, performance, practicality and convenience of products made with PVC have been proven time after time and in study after study. That is why they are so popular with consumers across the country and throughout the world.”

PVC has many uses in addition to packaging. It is the material of choice for critical-care blood bags and tubing regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for drinking water pipe certified by NSF International, and for wire insulation complying with national building electrical codes. PVC’s safety has been repeatedly affirmed by federal health and safety agencies and similar authorities in Europe and elsewhere.

“We believe retailers and consumers have a right to the facts to better equip them to resist misinformation,” Burns said.

VI’s new information campaign will be aimed at the packaging and retail sectors and will start in January.