To demonstrate how plastics, and specifically PVC or vinyl, save lives, SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association and its affiliate, the Flexible Vinyl Alliance, will feature a special booth at NPE2015, March 23-27, 2015, in the lobby of the South Hall of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, USA.

Among the showcased items will be an actual portable medical isolation containment unit similar to those used in Africa and elsewhere to isolate patients and protect medical personnel and the populace from the spread of infectious diseases and contain pandemics, including Ebola and SARS. Personal protective equipment, such as garments, masks, and shoe covers, will also be on display.

The goal is to demonstrate that plastics used in the manufacture of medical products are safe and necessary for appropriate patient care. SPI, sponsors of and contributors to the booth, expect it to generate positive international media coverage for vinyl and other sectors of the plastics industry and their benefits to the public.

This special booth at NPE2015: The International Plastics Showcase, which attracts 60,000+ visitors, 2,000 exhibitors, and press from around the globe, is designed to show the world that “Vinyl Saves Lives.” Vinyl is a major plastic component used in the manufacture of portable medical isolation units, protective garments, floors and a host of other medical products in the fight against infectious diseases and potential global pandemics such as Ebola and Lassa fever.

Polyvinyl chloride is the second-most common plastic material in use today (polyethylene is first). PVC is a critical material used in automotive interiors, medical devices, building products, cable and wiring jacketing, resilient flooring, durable wall coverings, food packaging and water infrastructure products.

Exhibit Supported by Key Industry Associations

The booth will be supported by leading soft vinyl producers and manufacturers of specialized medical products and systems, as well as organizations using these materials in affected regions of Africa and elsewhere. The Flexible Vinyl Alliance, SPI’s Flexible Vinyl Products Division, The Vinyl Institute, and the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, among others, will be represented in the booth. A wide range of other medical products and healthcare groups are expected to be part of the presentation.

The “Vinyl Saves Lives” project and booth is an initiative of Washington-based SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, its members and allied groups. SPI owns and operates the NPE 2015: The International Plastics Showcase, one of the world’s largest tradeshows. The special booth is expected to be one of the main attractions of the show.

The Flexible Vinyl Alliance (FVA), also headquartered in Washington, is responsible for the planning and promotion of the project. FVA envisions the display of multiple critical healthcare items fashioned from flexible vinyl, inclusive of a suite of products that all speak to patient safety, healthcare worker protection and positive patient outcomes. Experts will be on hand to answer questions.

Industry Spokespeople Air Their Views

The plastics manufacturing industry accounts for more than $380 billion in annual shipments in domestic sales and employs about 900,000 people in 15,949 facilities across the USA.

“The plastics industry is ready to take a strong stand and demonstrate to the world that, indeed, vinyl is a great product that, among other things, is a dominant material used in hundreds and hundreds of medical and healthcare products and as a result, saves lives,” says SPI President and CEO William R. Carteaux.

The plastics industry is the third largest U.S. manufacturing industry and a significant contributor to the domestic economy. The industry has an enviable record as an affordable, durable and sustainable material used safely for more than 50 years. The SPI delivers advocacy, market research, industry promotion and fosters business relationships and zero waste strategies (www.plasticsindustry.org).

Kevin D. Ott, executive director of the FVA, notes that, “While some of the best-known, but often unrecognized uses of PVC include wire and cable jacketing, medical tubing, blood bags, roofing, flooring, and wall coverings, the material is suitable for an almost limitless range of products offering superior and proven performance characteristics, particularly in healthcare settings, that are essential to patient safety and survival, as we deal with pandemic containment and protecting the general population. Lacking a vaccine for Ebola at this time, PVC plays an essential role as a “barrier” material between the health care worker and the fluids that are known to spread the virus.”

The FVA is a coalition of trade organizations, materials suppliers, compounders, formulators, molder, and fabricators and serves to provide messaging and advocacy on the proven safety, economy, and utility of flexible PVC (www.flexvinylalliance.com).

For more information on the Vinyl Saves Lives NPE project and ongoing related projects and activities, contact: Kevin D. Ott, executive director, Flexible Vinyl Alliance, at c/o SOCMA, 1850 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036; voice mail, +1 202-721-4125, telephone, 703-606-4555; or email, KOtt@FlexVinylAlliance.com.