LEED Won't Exclude PVC

Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 3/1/2005

Two years after being assigned to determine whether there was a reasonable case to establish LEED credits for excluding PVC and vinyl products, the U.S. Green Build Council's (USGBC) PVC Task Group concluded that there wasn't enough evidence to support the idea that PVC is "consistently worse than alternative materials on a life-cycle, environmental and health basis." As such, the committee doesn't support a LEED credit to eliminate PVC or any particular material. The public had until February 15, 2005, to submit comments on the report, after which it was sent along to the Technical Scientific Advisory Committee (TSAC) for a final decision on the matter.

Regardless of USGBC's decision on PVC, plastic pipe prices, thanks to higher oil prices, are on the rise.

Last month PVC sewer prices reached a level 19–24% higher than that of February 2004, while PVC water pipe prices have risen 16–20% for the year. PE under-drain pipe (4-in.) prices are up 28%, and copper water tubing has risen 22–25% from a year ago.