The Vinyl Institute partnered with Scrapp® to produce the first comprehensive report on the state of PVC recycling across the USA and Canada. Over 300 hours of research, 15 recycler interviews, 30 surveys and thorough data analysis spanning both markets, the project delivered a published industry report that forecasts vinyl recycling market growth, helped inform UN Global Plastics Treaty discussions, and gives the Vinyl Institute a credible, data-backed foundation to strengthen their position with policymakers and the wider recycling industry.
Why the vinyl recycling industry needed better data
Vinyl (PVC) is one of the most widely used plastics in the world — found in pipes, siding, flooring, window frames, and hundreds of other commercial and construction products. It's also one of the most recyclable thermoplastics, capable of being reprocessed multiple times without significant degradation in quality.
But there was a problem. Despite a well-established recycling infrastructure across North America, the data telling that story didn't exist in one place. There was no single, comprehensive resource that mapped the current state of PVC recycling across the USA and Canada — who's recycling it, how much is being processed, what the end markets look like, and where the growth opportunities are.
For the Vinyl Institute, the trade association representing vinyl manufacturers, this data gap had real consequences. Without reliable, defensible numbers, the industry couldn't confidently advocate for vinyl's recyclability in policy conversations. They couldn't contribute meaningful evidence to international negotiations like the UN Global Plastics Treaty. And they couldn't credibly forecast where the market was heading — information that recyclers, manufacturers, and policymakers all needed to make informed decisions.
The Vinyl Institute needed a partner who could gather primary data from across the industry, analyse it rigorously, and produce a published report that would hold up to scrutiny from policymakers, legal teams, and the wider recycling sector. This is where the Scrapp came in.
How Scrapp built the report from the ground up
Scrapp's approach started with primary research. Rather than relying on existing databases or secondary sources, the VI and Scrapp team went directly to the people doing the work — the recyclers themselves.
Over the course of the project, Scrapp:
- Interviewed 15 vinyl recyclers across the USA and Canada, gathering first-hand data on processing volumes, end-market demand, operational challenges, and growth projections
- Created over 100 short-form video clips from those interviews, giving the Vinyl Institute a library of industry insights and perspectives to share beyond the report itself
- Gathered and analysed end-market data from active PVC recyclers across both countries, building a picture of the current state of vinyl recycling based on what's actually happening on the ground — not theoretical capacity
- Mapped the full USA and Canadian market to identify regional differences in recycling infrastructure, processing capabilities, and end-market demand for recycled PVC
- Produced market growth forecasts for vinyl recycling in both countries, giving the industry forward-looking data to support investment decisions and policy advocacy
The research phase was intensive — 300 hours of work covering data collection, analysis, writing, and review. Scrapp worked closely with the Vinyl Institute's team and their legal counsel throughout the process. Every claim in the report was reviewed for precision, supportability, and clarity. The team went through multiple rounds of feedback to ensure the positions were stated clearly and could withstand scrutiny.
The result was the State of PVC Recycling in the USA & Canada — a published industry report that the Vinyl Institute could stand behind with full confidence.
What the report delivered
The published report gave the Vinyl Institute something they hadn't had before — a single, authoritative data source covering the full scope of PVC recycling in North America. The key outcomes included:
- Market growth forecasts for vinyl recycling in the USA and Canada, based on primary data from active recyclers rather than industry estimates
- Reliable end-market data suitable for use in international policy discussions, including the UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations
- A published benchmark of the current state of PVC recycling in the United States, providing a reference point for future measurement and progress tracking
- Stronger industry credibility with policymakers, recyclers, and stakeholders — backed by named data sources, direct recycler interviews, and legally reviewed claims
- A successful industry workshop at NOLA, where the data directly informed and shaped conversations with key partners and stakeholders
The report didn't just compile existing information. It created new knowledge — primary data that hadn't been gathered before, from sources that hadn't been asked before, structured in a way that made it usable for advocacy, policy, and business strategy.
Why primary data changes the conversation
The recycling industry is full of estimates. National averages, theoretical recycling rates, and aggregated statistics are widely cited but rarely interrogated. The problem with these numbers is that they obscure the reality on the ground — what's actually being collected, processed, and sold into end markets, by whom, and at what scale.
For a material like PVC, this matters more than most. Vinyl recycling infrastructure exists across North America, but it operates differently region by region. Processing capacity, end-market demand, collection logistics, and contamination challenges all vary. A national average flattens those differences into a single number that doesn't help anyone make a specific decision.
Scrapp's approach was to build the data from the bottom up. By interviewing the recyclers directly and gathering operational data from active processors, the report reflects what's actually happening — not what models predict should be happening. That distinction is critical when the data is being used to inform future treaty negotiations, shape policy positions, or attract investment into recycling infrastructure.
The bigger picture: vinyl's role in the circular economy
PVC's recyclability is well-established technically. It can be mechanically recycled multiple times, it maintains material quality through reprocessing, and there are established end markets for recycled PVC in construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing. The material properties that make it durable in use — chemical resistance, longevity, structural integrity — also make it valuable as a recycled feedstock.
But technical recyclability means nothing without infrastructure, collection systems, and market demand to support it. The Vinyl Institute's report exists to quantify exactly where that infrastructure stands today, where the gaps are, and where the growth opportunities lie.
As global attention turns to plastic waste through instruments like the UN Global Plastics Treaty, the quality of evidence available to negotiators directly influences policy outcomes. Materials and industries that can present reliable, transparent, primary data are better positioned to shape regulations that are practical, effective, and grounded in reality.
The Vinyl Institute's investment in this report — building an evidence base from scratch rather than relying on existing estimates — positions the vinyl recycling industry as a credible, data-driven participant in those conversations.
The environmental and social value of getting the data right
Bad data leads to bad policy. When recycling rates are overstated, infrastructure investment gets misdirected. When end-market demand is assumed rather than measured, recyclers build capacity for material nobody wants to buy. When policy positions are based on estimates rather than evidence, regulations either overshoot or miss the mark entirely.
The social value of the Vinyl Institute's report is in its accuracy. Policymakers working on the UN Global Plastics Treaty need reliable end-market data to make decisions that affect millions of people — from recycling workers and manufacturers to communities living near processing facilities. Giving those policymakers better data leads to better outcomes globally.
For the vinyl recycling industry specifically, the report also serves a workforce and investment function. Recyclers interviewed for the project shared not just operational data but perspectives on market demand, growth constraints, and the support they need to scale.
Read the full report: State of PVC Recycling in the USA & Canada
Need a data-driven report for your industry?
If you're a trade association, brand, or organization that needs reliable primary data to support policy advocacy, market positioning, or sustainability reporting — book a 15-minute call with the Scrapp team.
See how other organisations are using Scrapp's data and research capabilities: Oddisea | Chicago Brand Museum | Beech-Nut
Or explore Scrapp's industry reports to see the full portfolio.