Why should vinyl be replaced?

When vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC) plastics were introduced they were hailed as the "super plastic." Strong, durable and weather-resistant, these plastics would last forever... and now we know that they do. Vinyl's production, use and disposal created more cancer-causing and toxic chemical than any other plastic on Earth. Once released into the environment, vinyl accumulates continuously.

European nations have recently joined together to ban vinyl from landfills, but with no easy way to recycle it, where does it all go? According to Dr. Joe Thornton, author of Pandor'a Poison from MIT press, "PVC is one of the most environmentally hazardous consumer materials ever produced... PVC is extremely difficult to recycle... and hazardous by-products are formed throughout the PVC life cycle." We are now seeing the detrimental effects of this accumulation in both plants and animals, including humans.

Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive Director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice says, "PVC is a poison plastic. It has earned the title after decades of harming our health and environment... It is with us forever - a legacy left to the next generation."

As anglers, our most cherished natural resources are threated - let's do our part. Now is the time for a change.