[Greenbuilding] Alternatives to PVC pipe?

[Tom Lent]

For the complete (but still not only a 2 page quick read) HBN summary of the
USGBC report
http://www.pharosproject.net/wiki/index.php?title=USGBC_TSAC_PVC 

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of William Updike
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 7:01 AM
To: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Alternatives to PVC pipe? +
"PlasticOcean"byS.Casey, Best Life Magazine, May 2007

This is the quote from the recent analysis by the U.S.
Green Building Council on PVC:

"When we add end-of-life with accidental landfill
fires and backyard burning, the additional risk of
dioxin emissions puts PVC consistently among the worst
materials for human health impacts..." USGBC Technical
Science Advisory Committee (TSAC) final report.

And here's the response to that report by the Healthy
Building Network:

http://www.healthybuilding.net/news/070309TSACfinal.html

Here's the quote from the recent coverage in
Environmental Building News:

"The environmental burdens of manufacturing CPVC are
likely to be greater than those of PVC. Added steps
require more energy and raw materials, and entail more
occupational and environmental hazards from the
production of additional chlorine gas as well as the
handling of hydrogen chloride and hydrochloric acid.
According to U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's)
PVC report, among other sources, PVC is worse than
other materials in several environmental and human
health impact arenas, including cancer risks and
emissions from end-of-life disposal."

I'd recommend that everyone on this listserv watch the
film Blue Vinyl sometime.  It's actually an
entertaining (and of course disturbing) take on the
vinyl industry.  There is no room in green building
for any vinyl products in my opinion.

In full disclosure, I work for a green building supply
company on the East Coast called Nature Neutral
(www.natureneutral.com) that sells a polypropylene
piping system made by the German manufacturer
Aquatherm (www.aquatherm.de).  We believe this pipe
(though still a petroleum product it is nearly pure
polypropylene and is thus inert--it is certified to
NSF 51 standard for food-grade contact and only
stainless steel can claim that) to be the best
performing and best environmental pipe on the planet. 
And though we can't really talk about this in the
U.S., the Aquatherm's Fusiotherm supply pipe is backed
by the European Greenpeace--and they don't do things
like that lightly.  It also is sturdier than the other
pipes out there--it can survive a freeze-thaw cycle
and isn't as brittle as C-PVC.  We've actually driven
over it with our truck and it was fine afterwords.  

The only dealer of Aquatherm on the West Coast that I
know of is in the Northwest (Portland, I believe), so
it might not help you Mary, but perhaps soon a
supplier in California will pick it up.

If anyone is interested in learning more, drop me an
e-mail off-list. 

Cheers,

Bill Updike
Regional Sales Representative
Nature Neutral, Green Building Supply
www.NatureNeutral.com
Mobile: 434-284-1946






       
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