Both PVC and aluminium require the use of mineral resources.
Aluminium ore, called bauxite, is mined from places such as Australia, Guinea, Brazil and Jamaica. About 5 tonnes of ore will produce 1 tonne of metal. Mining the ore helps to sustain local economies but also has environmental impacts.
PVC uses chlorine from rock salt and hydrocarbons from natural gas or oil.
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In these life cycles, both materials are sent to landfill once they have reached the end of their useful life. Aluminium and PVC can be recycled to reduce the need to use fresh raw materials. |
