Vinyl
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) siding was first introduced in the 1950's, and since then has steadily increased its share of the residential siding market. "Today, more vinyl siding is produced than any other type of residential siding," (EBN, July/August 1997) and in 2003, over 4 billion square feet of vinyl siding were produced in the United States (Vinyl Siding Institute). Vinyl is inexpensive, easy to install, durable, and needs little maintenance. These attributes make vinyl products seem like the ideal material. However, chemicals used to manufacture PVC products, as well as those given off during its burning and disposal, have been proven hazardous to human and animal health, and the environment.