“These extremist groups keep repeating the same old lies,” said Vinyl Institute President Tim Burns. “They are deliberately trying to scare the public. They have no facts whatsoever to back up their charges that PVC products are harmful.”

To the contrary, Burns said, the facts demonstrate the many benefits of PVC. “In packaging alone, PVC saves this country the equivalent of two million barrels of oil every year,” he noted.

“The extremists’ street theater tactics based on nothing but lies are terribly unfair to the public and to retailers throughout the country. Consumers should not allow themselves to be manipulated. The charges made by these extremist groups have been examined by all the relevant government agencies and rejected numerous times,” Burns said.

“The reality is that PVC products have been used safely for decades and are recognized for their health, environmental and energy-saving benefits by agencies such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Food & Drug Administration, and National Fire Protection Association,” Burns said. The most recent example is California's approval of non-corrosive chlorinated PVC pipe for plumbing in homes throughout that state.

PVC (vinyl) is recognized for high energy efficiency and durability in many building products, including pipe, windows, siding and flooring, the Institute noted. Even with everyday items such as shower curtains, the public has shown it prefers PVC products. Target and other major retailers sell at least ten times as many curtains made out of PVC as those made out of alternative materials.