Achieve Green Promoting the Role of Vinyl in Green Building Allen Blakey VP Industry & Govt. Affairs The Vinyl Institute, USA Fourth Andean Conference PVC and Sustainability Bogota,Sept. 28, 2010

The Built Environment  About 70% of PVC/vinyl goes into building products in US  Because of this important market, the Vinyl Institute researched and developed an educational program for “building professionals”

Who is Most Influential In Constructing a Building? ConstructorConstructorDesignerDesignerSupplierSupplierRegulatorRegulator Public Private Large Small Short Long Developer Facility Mgr. Lender Broker Architect Engineer Specifier Interior- designer Consultant General Contr. Sub-contractor Const. Mgr. Builder Manufacturer Dealer Distributor Federal State Local Official $ $ $ OwnerOwner Source: George Middleton & Associates, Inc.  2009

Goal: Educate Architects, Designers  We focus on architects and interior designers  Learn what they do, how they think  Educate them with neutral, factual information  Empower them to continue specifying PVC products  Show how vinyl can fit in their designs Photo Credit: Bolon, UK

IN DESIGN  45-minute continuing education course for building professionals  Architects/designers earn credit for course  1,500 professionals take course annually  Lunch presentations at design firms  Trade show seminars  Manufacturer- sponsored events

Course covers:  Attributes  Manufacturing  Fire Safety  Air Quality  Aesthetics  Recyclability  Innovation  Reference &  Sustainability tool IN DESIGN

But is Vinyl Sustainable?  Many architects and designers today want to know how products can promote sustainability and reduce environmental impact  We needed a new program element on PVC’s benefits – something that proved PVC belongs in green buildings

IN DESIGN

 Spread sheets can be downloaded from a web site  LEED ™ New Construction v.3  Green Building Initiative/ANSI

achievegreen.net  Achievegreen is multi- functional  Supports PVC’s role in green building and reduced impacts  Shows PVC’s compatibility with LEED and Green Globes  Provides a resource and marketing tool for the vinyl industry

achievegreen.net  2010 goal: Get product manufacturers to list their companies in the spread sheets  Held webinars for 100 companies to explain the program  75 companies list products in >100 point categories  Hundreds of web site visits

Marketing  2010 and beyond: Hope more companies will list products and promote the web site to their architect and designer customers  We are also starting to market through our CE course and conference presentations

Thank you!