How VSC Members Are Building Water Resilience Together
A recent VSC Sustainability Education Series presentation explored how water risk can affect manufacturing operations and how companies can prepare for future challenges. 
Water availability is an increasingly important sustainability and business continuity issue for manufacturers. Through the VSC Sustainability Education Series, companies and industry experts share practical insights, lessons learned, and real-world strategies that can help the vinyl industry better understand emerging risks and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
In a recent presentation, Orbia’s Polymer Solutions business Vestolit shared its experience managing water-related risks at its PVC manufacturing operations in Altamira, Mexico. The session offered a firsthand look at how water scarcity can affect industrial operations and how proactive planning can strengthen resilience before disruptions occur.
Learning From a Real World Example
Water availability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for manufacturers around the world. Drought conditions, shifting weather patterns, infrastructure limitations, and evolving regulations can all influence business operations.
During the webinar, Vestolit shared how severe drought conditions in 2024 affected industrial operations in the Altamira region of Mexico, where the company operates PVC manufacturing facilities.
As local water supplies became increasingly constrained, industrial users were asked to shut down operations in order to preserve water access for residents and essential services. The event demonstrated how quickly water challenges can become business continuity challenges.
Vestolit’s presentation offered a candid look at how the company assessed risks, responded to disruption, and strengthened its water stewardship efforts moving forward. The example brought the issue into practical focus by showing how regional water stress can quickly become an operational challenge.
Turning Water Risk Into Action
To help companies better understand and address these challenges, the Vinyl Sustainability Council partnered with The Water Council to develop the VSC Water Risk Assessment Protocol, a practical framework for evaluating water-related risks across the vinyl value chain.
The protocol provides a structured framework for evaluating:
- – Source water risks
- – Watershed and community considerations
- – Operational water use and efficiency
- – Potential regulatory and business impacts
By helping organizations understand where water-related vulnerabilities may exist, the protocol supports more informed decisions about resource management, operational continuity, and long-term sustainability planning.
The Vestolit experience also reinforced a key principle behind the VSC Water Risk Assessment Protocol: understanding water risks before a crisis occurs can help organizations better prepare for future challenges.
Advancing Practical Sustainability Learning
The VSC Water Risk Assessment Protocol and the Sustainability Education Series are both benefits of VSC membership. These member resources help highlight how peer examples and technical expertise can turn broad sustainability goals into practical action. Topics such as water management, recycling, health and safety, sustainability reporting, and operational excellence all benefit from real-world perspectives that reflect the complexities of manufacturing and material stewardship.
Together with tools like the VSC Water Risk Assessment Protocol, these resources help connect lessons from the field with actionable sustainability practices for our members.
As sustainability challenges continue to evolve, collaboration remains one of the industry’s greatest strengths. By sharing experiences, lessons learned, and proven practices, the vinyl industry can continue building more resilient operations and advancing sustainability across the entire value chain.
Learn more about the Vinyl Sustainability Council’s work to support continuous improvement, shared learning, and sustainability across the vinyl industry here: https://vantagevinyl.com/vinyl-sustainability-council/