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Soft PVC Alternatives

Polyvinyl Chloride plastic (PVC) is used for a variety of soft products, including children's toys, shower curtains, plastic bags and many other soft plastics used in the home. According to Greenpeace International, PVC is harmful to the environment and people's health. PVC plastic constantly emits toxins, such as dioxin, into the air, ground, water and even into human bodies. The additives used to make PVC plastic, such as chloride, are also harmful to the environment and living organisms. In response to these findings, many companies are turning to soft PVC alternatives to help combat some of the danger of PVC plastics.

  1. Bio-based Polymers

    • Bio-based polymers are polymer fibers taken from natural products, such as fruits, vegetables and natural fibers to create a flexible plastic-like material that is completely non-toxic. These polymers are in recent development, and as of 2011, are not widely available for use as an alternative to PVC. However, as further research makes bio-based polymers a better candidate for manufacturing products such as plastic bags, children's toys and soft vinyl plastics; the product will likely become more accessible.

    Ethylene-vinyl Acetate

    • Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) plastic is a form of soft, flexible plastic made from vinyl plastic. Some vinyl acetate uses a chloride catalyst added to the plastic to provide flexibility to the plastic. This chloride additive makes EVA plastic harmful to living organisms and the environment. Only EVA plastic manufactured without chloride is suitable as a PVC replacement. EVA kind of plastic can replace the thinnest PVC plastic, including inflatable toys, shower curtains and other plastic bags. This plastic has some environmental concerns as well, such as toxins emitted during production and the possibility of the toxins leaking into the ground after disposal.

    Thermoplastic Elastomer

    • Thermoplastic elastomer plastic (TPE) is a viable plastic alternative to soft PVC. This plastic is made from styrene and polyurethane plastics and has a similar texture and feel to PVC plastic. TPE still has some concern for chemical damage, including vapors released when the plastic burns or becomes overheated, but it does not release harmful toxins into the air otherwise, according to a 1999 report published by the Department of Work Environment at the University of Massachusetts available on the site PVCInformation.org.

    Polyolefins

    • Polyolefins are a series of plastics with similar poly plastic blends. This kind of plastic is the main plastic used to replace PVC, and it can have the flexibility and use of the original soft PVC plastic for toys, household and commercial use. These forms of plastic do not release the harmful vapors like PVC plastic, but they do have some environmental concerns during the production process, including the by-products produced with the ethylene production necessary to soften the plastic.

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