PVC in Sweden: an analysis of environmental bottlenecks

Abstract

The second example of a ‘messy’ controversy in this book is the (Swedish) debate on Polyvinylchloride (PVC). This case followed more or less the same pattern as the Dutch chlorine debate: one of the actors involved tried to create the possibility of structuring the controversy by commissioning a comprehensive study into the environmental problems related to PVC. Once again, this made it possible to investigate what the structured generation of knowledge has yielded in terms of (scientifically) robust information. Before discussing this question, we will first describe PVC’s role in society and the concerns about its environmental problems².

This chapter is based on A. Tukker et al. (1996b), A PVC Substance Flow Analysis for Sweden, TNO-STB and CML, TNO-STB report 96/48, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The text of this chapter is adapted from:

Arnold Tukker, Rene Kleijn, Lauran van Oers and Edith Smeets, ‘Combining SFA and LCA: The Swedish PVC Analysis’, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1:4 (Fall, 1997), pp.93-116. © 1997 by Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A major change is an extended discussion of the problems with Life cycle Impact Assessment of toxic releases in section 5.4.2. The argument developed in that section is discussed in detail in:

A. Tukker (1998b), Life cycle Impact Assessment of Toxic Releases. Practical Experiences Arguments for a Reductionalistic Approach ? Accepted for publication, International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment