PVC cables are recyclable and successfully recycled.
The PVC cables recycling might follow two different streams:
- cables subject to one of both the European regulations WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment ) or ELV (End of Life Vehicles). In these cases there is a general obligation to recover and recycle end of life electrical and electronic equipments and vehicles sent to demolition, although without an explicit obligation for "cables";
- cables not subject to the above rules and regulations, such as the cables used for the transport of energy and for communications.This kind of waste is recycled in the framework of recycling schemes substantially supported by private initiatives such as VinylPlus.
Thanks to the collection and recycling schemes set up in the framework of Vinyl 2010 and VinylPlus, in total, around 1.5 million tonnes of PVC from cables were recycled since 2000.