Fairy Tale or Reality

When You Consider All the Facts, Plastic Piping is the Green Option

Once upon a time there was a blind study. Its purpose was to determine which of two products was greener in the field of agricultural food production—product H or product T? The judges were an elite panel of experts, PhDs, whose specialty was developing and publishing environmental impact studies.

Product H

Advantages of Product H:

• Dozens of centuries in use
• Lower purchase cost
• Lower energy costs
• Sustainable source of supply
• Energy to operate with non-fossil fuels
• Negligible greenhouse gas emissions
• Waste products are recyclable
• Finished product is recyclable

Advantage of Product T:

• Cost-effective

Product T

The unanimous decision of the panel was, predictably, Product H, the horse-driven plow. When farmers were polled, their choice was Product T, the tractor.

This tongue-in-cheek story might seem far fetched but it illustrates the flaw of not seeing the forest for the trees, an apt if timeworn phrase. The same flaw in thinking is apparent today from “experts” as well as vocal but misinformed environmental acolytes, who insist that plastics are detrimental to the planet, have no sustainable benefits, and can be easily replaced with other materials. They are missing the broader view: plastics offer not only environmentally sound but also cost-effective solutions in an ever-growing and extensive list of applications.

Let’s examine the field of plastic piping. Just like the farmers from the story who chose the tractor on the basis of cost-effectiveness, the domestic and international marketplace has chosen plastic pipe over other materials for applications that conditions of service allow.

Why are plastics the preferred piping material in residential and commercial hot and cold water distribution, natural gas distribution, acid waste drainage, residential drain-waste-vent, irrigation, swimming pools, water mains, sewer lines, central vacuum systems, radon elimination, rainwater harvesting, residential fire suppression systems, geothermal energy, water well casings, ultrahigh purity water systems, aquariums, water theme parks, fountains, and several others. Why has the market place embraced plastic piping?

Four reasons. For its durability, safety and easy to install, environmentally soundness and cost-effectiveness? Top ratings in these four categories make plastic the best bargain in the fluid handling industry

1) Durability
Compared to other piping materials, plastic piping is more durable. This is due to its resistance to chemical and corrosive attack, abrasion resistance, joint integrity, optimum flow characteristics and constant testing to rigorous codes and standards.

2) Safety and ease of installation
Plastic piping is lightweight; easy and quick to make leak-proof joints; offer a variety of joining methods; a variety and breadth of product line: ease of fabrication; multiple exterior-walled color identification; has code acceptance; all products have easy to decipher identification labeling; piping products are in stock and available for delivery in hours; and the product’s lightweight reduces on-site injuries while speeding up installation time.

3) Environmental soundness
Energy savings is the pay off of plastic piping’s low thermal conductivity, favorable flow rates, and its reduced energy of hauling product. In addition, plastic piping is odorless and non-toxic, fully recyclable, and has, based on scientifically conducted Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), “greenness” the other piping materials do not have.

4) Cost Effectiveness
Whether it is costs for material, installation or maintenance, plastic piping has proven time and again that no other piping material is as cost-effective. Plus plastic piping offers more savings by way of fewer on-site thefts, lower transportation costs and lower insurance premiums.

The moral of this story is when evaluating piping materials (or any other product) don’t just myopically look at one facet of a product line. Consider the complete list of features and full benefit package so a carefully considered, well-informed and client-focused decision can be made. You will then realize that there is no fairy tale when it comes to recognizing plastics as the overwhelming choice for almost all piping projects.

David A. Chasis
Chasis Consulting, Inc.