Vinyl Siding - Environmental Aspects

Environmental Aspects

From an environmental standpoint, vinyl siding offers both advantages and disadvantages. It is less energy-intensive than aluminum siding but also less recyclable. Vinyl siding can be recycled, but current technology permits recycling only of new vinyl (factory scraps and job-site cutoffs), not old siding removed during remodeling or demolition. No company in the market currently manufacturers vinyl siding composed of either post-industrial or post-consumer recycled content.

Vinyl siding, like natural wood siding, is flammable. However, because of its thin profile, vinyl siding may be more likely to ignite due to exterior fire; for example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that, in tests involving vinyl-clad structures in close proximity, fire was observed to spread between two vinyl-clad test structures located six feet apart in fewer than five minutes. Additionally, vinyl siding can release toxic fumes when burning, particularly dioxins. This is not only an environmental concern, but the fumes can be dangerous to firefighters and bystanders, and the toxic fumes released may increase the likelihood of fatality from smoke inhalation for anyone trapped in the burning structure.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recommends using building materials that require "no additional finish resources to complete application on site" for green home builders as they reduce waste and materials used. Installing vinyl siding involves neither paint, stain, nor caulk and thus meets this NAHB requirement.

The PVC used in vinyl siding used to be produced in open vats until 1971, when angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the liver, was traced to vinyl chloride exposure among PVC workers, and strict workplace exposure limits were established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These changes required all vats to be tightly sealed, which led to greater capital costs and a concentration in the number of producers.