7. April 2006 I think, that we all must support the Solvay Indupa activities with bio-PVC; it shows, that 1. we can produce PVC also from renewables (as was done since many years in India by Sanmargroup) and PVC does need less bio-ethylene than other plastics (44%!) instead of 100% in bio-PE. 2. in some countries this is economically viable, in others not. 3. all polymers can be produced from such renewable materials. But we are also aware, that 4. this bio-ethylene ("1st generation bio-ethylene") is produced from sugar and starch, which is in competition to food production and does increase the price for such ressources ("tortilla crisis in Mexico: Price for tortillas was increasing a lot, so that poor people could much less afford to eat than without such a competition"). This is a socially very negative point and is attacked by "Greens". But we should also clearly say, that this negative effect on food price is mainly due to the high demand of bio-ethanole as substitute or addition in gasoline for cars (also the German governement want 10% bio-ethanole in future fuels); compared to this bio-ethanole for plastics is a minor quantity. And PVC again is in this social category very positive, since it has low life cycle cost, is thus available for poorer people and societies (medical care, building, water supply etc.). 5. This negative point will be improved in the future by using bio-ethylene of "2nd generation", produced by the whole plant, and not only by the parts used for food. This "2nd generation bio-ethylene " will be better than normal ethylene by life cycle analysis (mainly from energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions), will influence food production much less, will need much less land, will perhaps be a possibility also for Europe, etc.. 6. The very specific situation in Brazil (some specific numbers given by Helmut Leitner, Solvay), totally different from Europe: Petrobras forecasts bio-fuels use will increase from 5 to 25% due to their participation in the world fuels consumption by 2020 pushed high up by Kyoto protocol and oil availability. USA is the biggest world producer with 24,6 M m3 expected for this year (+20% growth) from 121 refineries. Consumption is expected to 26 M m3 with little imports limited by tax barrier Brazil is the second world producer with 20 M m3 expected for this year (14%). Consumption is expected to 17,3 M m3 and export to 2,7 M m3 limited by export barriers and lack of infrastructures Unica (Brarzilian sugar cane producers association) forecasts a production of 36 M m3 in 2012 of which only 25 M m3 will be for internal consumption while 11 M m3 should be exported mainly to Japan and Europe. Petrobras starts, in association with Mitsui, an ambitious program in building 40 alcohol refineries, 5 of which will be operating in 2009 for a total capacity of 1 M m3. This capacity should be exported through a network of new Petrobras alcohol pipeline (The Solvay Indupa demand is only some 0.05 M m3!) The size of Brazil is Millions of hectares Area Percentage Brazil % Arable area Available for expansion (24% of arable land) sugarcane area for Ethanol 3 0,35 (0,8% of arable land !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) The area for sugarcane is in the southeast of Brazil (not too far from Sao Paolo) and NOT in the Amazonian area Solvay Indupa's work can therefor be seen and respected as a big step in further improving these very green activities. (The dioxin-problem of Solvay Indupa from 1999 mentioned in "Neues Deutschland" (if factually correct) has nothing to do with this "Green PVC" or with PVC in general.) CPD (Construction products directive): Indoor Air Dr. Rüdiger Baunemann, PlasticsEurope, Frankfurt is involved much in the topic! 1.How to measure indoor air pollution? Here the AgBB-scheme 2.The AgBB scheme Degassing in a closed cell (23°C, defined air exchange,..) Measurement of degassed substances after 3 and 28 days Assessement for toxicity of known and unknown substances above 5 ug/m3 Question: Which carcinogens? EU-67/548/EWG cat 1 and 2 More details:

7. April 2006 I think, that we all must support the Solvay Indupa activities with bio-PVC; it shows, that 1. we can produce PVC also from renewables (as was done since many years in India by Sanmargroup) and PVC does need less bio-ethylene than other plastics (44%!) instead of 100% in bio-PE. 2. in some countries this is economically viable, in others not. 3. all polymers can be produced from such renewable materials. But we are also aware, that 4. this bio-ethylene ("1st generation bio-ethylene") is produced from sugar and starch, which is in competition to food production and does increase the price for such ressources ("tortilla crisis in Mexico: Price for tortillas was increasing a lot, so that poor people could much less afford to eat than without such a competition"). This is a socially very negative point and is attacked by "Greens". But we should also clearly say, that this negative effect on food price is mainly due to the high demand of bio-ethanole as substitute or addition in gasoline for cars (also the German governement want 10% bio-ethanole in future fuels); compared to this bio-ethanole for plastics is a minor quantity. And PVC again is in this social category very positive, since it has low life cycle cost, is thus available for poorer people and societies (medical care, building, water supply etc.). 5. This negative point will be improved in the future by using bio-ethylene of "2nd generation", produced by the whole plant, and not only by the parts used for food. This "2nd generation bio-ethylene " will be better than normal ethylene by life cycle analysis (mainly from energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions), will influence food production much less, will need much less land, will perhaps be a possibility also for Europe, etc.. 6. The very specific situation in Brazil (some specific numbers given by Helmut Leitner, Solvay), totally different from Europe: Petrobras forecasts bio-fuels use will increase from 5 to 25% due to their participation in the world fuels consumption by 2020 pushed high up by Kyoto protocol and oil availability. USA is the biggest world producer with 24,6 M m3 expected for this year (+20% growth) from 121 refineries. Consumption is expected to 26 M m3 with little imports limited by tax barrier Brazil is the second world producer with 20 M m3 expected for this year (14%). Consumption is expected to 17,3 M m3 and export to 2,7 M m3 limited by export barriers and lack of infrastructures Unica (Brarzilian sugar cane producers association) forecasts a production of 36 M m3 in 2012 of which only 25 M m3 will be for internal consumption while 11 M m3 should be exported mainly to Japan and Europe. Petrobras starts, in association with Mitsui, an ambitious program in building 40 alcohol refineries, 5 of which will be operating in 2009 for a total capacity of 1 M m3. This capacity should be exported through a network of new Petrobras alcohol pipeline (The Solvay Indupa demand is only some 0.05 M m3!) The size of Brazil is Millions of hectares Area Percentage Brazil % Arable area Available for expansion (24% of arable land) sugarcane area for Ethanol 3 0,35 (0,8% of arable land !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) The area for sugarcane is in the southeast of Brazil (not too far from Sao Paolo) and NOT in the Amazonian area Solvay Indupa's work can therefor be seen and respected as a big step in further improving these very green activities. (The dioxin-problem of Solvay Indupa from 1999 mentioned in "Neues Deutschland" (if factually correct) has nothing to do with this "Green PVC" or with PVC in general.) 3. Some PVC-specific results (high surface per volume products) 3.1 Wallcoverings from two PVC coverings CriteriumResultAccepted limitProduct acceptable? TVOC 3d 1,662/0,121 mg/m3 10 mg/m3 Yes Carcinogens 3d <0,001 mg/m3 0,01 mg/m3 Yes TVOC 28d 0,024/0,006 mg/m3 1 mg/m3 Yes SVOC 28d <0,001/0,003 mg/m3 0,1 mg/m3 Yes Carcinogens 28d <0,001 mg/m3 0,001 mg/m3 Yes NIK-assessable substances 28d 0,36/0,01Yes Non assessable substances 28d 0,005/0,003 mg/m3 0,1 mg/m3 Yes

7. April 2006 I think, that we all must support the Solvay Indupa activities with bio-PVC; it shows, that 1. we can produce PVC also from renewables (as was done since many years in India by Sanmargroup) and PVC does need less bio-ethylene than other plastics (44%!) instead of 100% in bio-PE. 2. in some countries this is economically viable, in others not. 3. all polymers can be produced from such renewable materials. But we are also aware, that 4. this bio-ethylene ("1st generation bio-ethylene") is produced from sugar and starch, which is in competition to food production and does increase the price for such ressources ("tortilla crisis in Mexico: Price for tortillas was increasing a lot, so that poor people could much less afford to eat than without such a competition"). This is a socially very negative point and is attacked by "Greens". But we should also clearly say, that this negative effect on food price is mainly due to the high demand of bio-ethanole as substitute or addition in gasoline for cars (also the German governement want 10% bio-ethanole in future fuels); compared to this bio-ethanole for plastics is a minor quantity. And PVC again is in this social category very positive, since it has low life cycle cost, is thus available for poorer people and societies (medical care, building, water supply etc.). 5. This negative point will be improved in the future by using bio-ethylene of "2nd generation", produced by the whole plant, and not only by the parts used for food. This "2nd generation bio-ethylene " will be better than normal ethylene by life cycle analysis (mainly from energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions), will influence food production much less, will need much less land, will perhaps be a possibility also for Europe, etc.. 6. The very specific situation in Brazil (some specific numbers given by Helmut Leitner, Solvay), totally different from Europe: Petrobras forecasts bio-fuels use will increase from 5 to 25% due to their participation in the world fuels consumption by 2020 pushed high up by Kyoto protocol and oil availability. USA is the biggest world producer with 24,6 M m3 expected for this year (+20% growth) from 121 refineries. Consumption is expected to 26 M m3 with little imports limited by tax barrier Brazil is the second world producer with 20 M m3 expected for this year (14%). Consumption is expected to 17,3 M m3 and export to 2,7 M m3 limited by export barriers and lack of infrastructures Unica (Brarzilian sugar cane producers association) forecasts a production of 36 M m3 in 2012 of which only 25 M m3 will be for internal consumption while 11 M m3 should be exported mainly to Japan and Europe. Petrobras starts, in association with Mitsui, an ambitious program in building 40 alcohol refineries, 5 of which will be operating in 2009 for a total capacity of 1 M m3. This capacity should be exported through a network of new Petrobras alcohol pipeline (The Solvay Indupa demand is only some 0.05 M m3!) The size of Brazil is Millions of hectares Area Percentage Brazil % Arable area Available for expansion (24% of arable land) sugarcane area for Ethanol 3 0,35 (0,8% of arable land !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) The area for sugarcane is in the southeast of Brazil (not too far from Sao Paolo) and NOT in the Amazonian area Solvay Indupa's work can therefor be seen and respected as a big step in further improving these very green activities. (The dioxin-problem of Solvay Indupa from 1999 mentioned in "Neues Deutschland" (if factually correct) has nothing to do with this "Green PVC" or with PVC in general.) 3. Some PVC-specific results (high surface per volume products) 3.2 PVC floorings (homogen, heterogen, CV, linoleum) CriteriumResultAccepted limitProduct acceptable? TVOC 3d 0,006/0,7/0,12/0,5 /3,8/0,3 mg/m3 10 mg/m3 Yes Carcinogens 3d <0,001 mg/m3 0,01 mg/m3 Yes TVOC 28d 0/0,4/0,09/0,2 /0,16/0,12 mg/m3 1 mg/m3 Yes SVOC 28d 0/0/0/0/0/0 mg/m3 0,1 mg/m3 Yes Carcinogens 28d <0,001 mg/m3 0,001 mg/m3 Yes NIK-assessable substances 28d 0/0,6/0,13/0,05/0/ 0,24 1Yes Non assessable substances 28d 0/0/0/0,03/0/0,07 mg/m3 0,1 mg/m3 Yes

7. April 2006 I think, that we all must support the Solvay Indupa activities with bio-PVC; it shows, that 1. we can produce PVC also from renewables (as was done since many years in India by Sanmargroup) and PVC does need less bio-ethylene than other plastics (44%!) instead of 100% in bio-PE. 2. in some countries this is economically viable, in others not. 3. all polymers can be produced from such renewable materials. But we are also aware, that 4. this bio-ethylene ("1st generation bio-ethylene") is produced from sugar and starch, which is in competition to food production and does increase the price for such ressources ("tortilla crisis in Mexico: Price for tortillas was increasing a lot, so that poor people could much less afford to eat than without such a competition"). This is a socially very negative point and is attacked by "Greens". But we should also clearly say, that this negative effect on food price is mainly due to the high demand of bio-ethanole as substitute or addition in gasoline for cars (also the German governement want 10% bio-ethanole in future fuels); compared to this bio-ethanole for plastics is a minor quantity. And PVC again is in this social category very positive, since it has low life cycle cost, is thus available for poorer people and societies (medical care, building, water supply etc.). 5. This negative point will be improved in the future by using bio-ethylene of "2nd generation", produced by the whole plant, and not only by the parts used for food. This "2nd generation bio-ethylene " will be better than normal ethylene by life cycle analysis (mainly from energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions), will influence food production much less, will need much less land, will perhaps be a possibility also for Europe, etc.. 6. The very specific situation in Brazil (some specific numbers given by Helmut Leitner, Solvay), totally different from Europe: Petrobras forecasts bio-fuels use will increase from 5 to 25% due to their participation in the world fuels consumption by 2020 pushed high up by Kyoto protocol and oil availability. USA is the biggest world producer with 24,6 M m3 expected for this year (+20% growth) from 121 refineries. Consumption is expected to 26 M m3 with little imports limited by tax barrier Brazil is the second world producer with 20 M m3 expected for this year (14%). Consumption is expected to 17,3 M m3 and export to 2,7 M m3 limited by export barriers and lack of infrastructures Unica (Brarzilian sugar cane producers association) forecasts a production of 36 M m3 in 2012 of which only 25 M m3 will be for internal consumption while 11 M m3 should be exported mainly to Japan and Europe. Petrobras starts, in association with Mitsui, an ambitious program in building 40 alcohol refineries, 5 of which will be operating in 2009 for a total capacity of 1 M m3. This capacity should be exported through a network of new Petrobras alcohol pipeline (The Solvay Indupa demand is only some 0.05 M m3!) The size of Brazil is Millions of hectares Area Percentage Brazil % Arable area Available for expansion (24% of arable land) sugarcane area for Ethanol 3 0,35 (0,8% of arable land !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) The area for sugarcane is in the southeast of Brazil (not too far from Sao Paolo) and NOT in the Amazonian area Solvay Indupa's work can therefor be seen and respected as a big step in further improving these very green activities. (The dioxin-problem of Solvay Indupa from 1999 mentioned in "Neues Deutschland" (if factually correct) has nothing to do with this "Green PVC" or with PVC in general.) 4. Conclusions No carcinogens detected Modern PVC-recipes can pass limit values Products with high surface area (most critical) pass limit values VOCs after 28 days strongly reduced For good products measurements after 3 days are sufficient (criteria for end of measurement possible)