Demo at NPE2015 Poised to Enhance View of Plastics

A special demonstration in March at one of the world’s largest international trade shows could change worldwide perceptions about plastics in a very positive way, according to SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association.

The demonstration will provide an opportunity for 50,000+ show visitors at NPE2015: The International Trade Showcase, to see a special booth featuring medical isolation units and equipment plus a variety of plastic products including protective garments and gear used to treat and protect medical personnel, patients and the populace from diseases and pandemics like Ebola and SARS.  The goal is to conclusively show audiences and the press from media around the world how “Vinyl Saves Lives,” the name given to this special project.

NPE2015: The International Plastic Showcase, one of the plastics industry’s premier events worldwide, is owned and run by the SPI.   Products on display will be those made predominantly or in large part of vinyl, also called PVC, for medical uses and applications.  The Vinyl Saves Lives demonstration and booth was jointly conceived and developed by the SPI and the Flexible Vinyl Alliance (FVA). The venue is the Orange County Convention Center, March 23-27, 2015 in Orlando, Fla. (www.npe201).

“The message we want to convey is that PVC actually saves lives around the world,” said Terry Peters, senior director, Technical and Industry Affairs at SPI.   "As the second most used plastic on the planet,” he notes, “PVC plays a critical, necessary and dominant role in saving lives, not just during pandemics and epidemics, but each and every day where medicine is practiced.

“We are confident that the public, politicians and the press will change any negative thoughts they may have about PVC,” Peters said. “Without PVC, few if any material alternatives exist to enable medical products to perform as well as they do.”

Members belonging to SPI are from every segment of the plastics industry (third largest U.S. manufacturing industry) as well as companies that design, mold, fabricate and sell products made from all types of plastics.  Participants and supporters of this special undertaking include some of the leading names across numerous industries, among them the Flexible Vinyl Alliance (FVA), the Vinyl Institute (VI), the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), the Wallcoverings Association, Lakeland Industries, Czuba Enterprises, QOSINA Corporation and some of the world’s largest PVC/vinyl producers.  The American Red Cross will also participate.