This is a contested issue with supporters on both sides of the debate. According to some, PVC/uPVC doors are recyclable when you are ready to replace them. You can also look for recycled doors when you buy doors to reduce the need to create new PVC doors. In a 2006 study produced by California’s Environmental Health Protection Agency, they rate recycled PVC as a durable building material that is preferred to reduce landfill waste and the need to produce new doors.
There are further health concerns that uPVC/PVC doors emit harmful VOCs as they degrade in the hot sun. Vinyl doors also do not biodegrade and leach harmful chemicals into the soil when they are placed in landfills.