The VinylPlus® Product Label recognised as a Label for Sustainable Public Purchasing

Looking back at 2020, VinylPlus is proud of its Product Label success story in Belgium. Alongside well established sustainability labels such as FSC, PEFC, Cradle to Cradle, Der Blauer Engel or The Nordic Swan, the VinylPlus® Product Label has been recognized, as a label for sustainable public purchasing in Belgium.

Launched two years ago to allow the partners of VinylPlus® – the Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry –  to certify the sustainability performance of their PVC building and construction products, the VinylPlus® Product Label has been recognized in 2020 by the Federale Instituut voor Duurzaam Ontwikkeling (FIDO)/Institut Fédéral pour le Développement Durable (IFDD) as suitable to be in integrated into public procurement specifications. The label was evaluated as fulfilling the 5 criteria of Article 54 of the Wet inzake overheidsopdrachten/Loi relative aux marchés publics, transposed from article 43(1) of EU Directive 2014/24/EU on Public Procurement:

1. The label requirements only concern criteria which are linked to the subject-matter of the contract and are appropriate to define characteristics of the works, supplies or services that are the subject-matter of the contract;
2. The label requirements are based on objectively verifiable and non-discriminatory criteria;
3. The label is established in an open and transparent procedure in which all stakeholders, including public institutions, consumers, social partners, manufacturers, distributors and non-governmental organizations, can participate;
4. The labels are accessible to all interested parties;
5. The label requirements are set by a third party over which the economic operator applying for the label cannot exercise a decisive influence.

As from now, the VinylPlus® Product Label will be promoted to public purchasers in the Belgian Guide for Sustainable Purchasing alongside well established sustainability labels, such as FSC, PEFC, Cradle to Cradle, Der Blauer Engel or The Nordic Swan, in 5 product categories:

• Windows/doors;
• Products containing recycled plastics;
• Protection films;
• Flooring and rug products, as well as;
• Textile flooring.

This recognition in Belgium comes after the integration of the Label in the Duurzaam Schrijnwerk/Menuiserie Durable label from the Belgian Construction Certification Association, to be officially launched by the Belgian carpentry manufacturers in autumn 2020.

Getting these recognitions are the strongest testimonial of the credibility and effectiveness of the VinylPlus® Product Label. Other processes to get recognitions are ongoing.

To date, the VinylPlus® Product Label is proudly held by 11 companies, partners of VinylPlus®: Deceuninck, Epwin Window System, Finstral, Gealan, Internorm, Profine, Rehau, Salamander, Schüco, VEKA and Verseidag.