THE materials and components we use to create our new buildings and refurbish existing ones are coming under the spotlight more than ever before as we strive towards a highly sustainable society. Currently in Pakistan, the doors and windows are still manufactured with conventional materials to a large extent, predominately wood and other materials such as aluminum, iron and steel. However the current trend of using natural resources for human luxury is costing the environment dearly as we are damaging the natural ecosystem by destroying forests for such uses. Deforestation is occurring around the world at an unprecedented rate. Across the forests of virtually every continent people are destroying valuable forests either for purposes of living or for trade. International trade and the build up of the industrial complex are causing rapid deforestation. Nobody knows exactly how much of the world's rainforests have already been destroyed and continue to be razed each year. Data is often inaccurate and subject to differing interpretations. However it is obvious that the area of tropical rainforest is diminishing and the rate of tropical rainforest destruction is escalating worldwide, despite increase environmental activism and awareness. A study in 1992 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) placed the global rate of tropical deforestation at 17 million hectares per year. A study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) suggested that the figure could be as high as 20.4 million hectares per year. Deforestation continues to lead to massive environmental damage, economic deterioration and human misery. In Pakistan, the forest covers only 4.224m hectares or 4.8pc of the land area of the country (www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/Int roductiontopakistan/forestsofPakistan.him) contrary to sustainable use requirements, which call for 25 percent of forest cover. The rate of deforestation is 7000 to 9000 hectares per annum due to various uses of woods mainly furniture. It is feared that this natural resource will be totally consumed within the next fifteen year. However, with rising awareness among the masses and concern for preserving the natural environment and resources for future generations, mankind has started exploring alternate resources to replace the natural ones. This trend is successfully being implemented in the furniture business globally where the use of plastics has increased across all bounds. One of the most successful uses of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) in furniture is in door and window profiles. Unlike other materials used in window frames, PVC performs extremely well in terms of sustainability. PVC is extremely resource efficient in its manufacturing and offers excellent thermal performance for a lifetime. PVC frame also maximises the energy retention within a building. This is unlike low performing thermally inefficient metal windows or timber windows, which have traditionally been poor at keeping the weather out and the heat in. With a durability life of 50 years or more, the PVC frame represents an energy store which can be retrieved arid reprocessed at any time in the future. PVC Usage in Pakistan PVC is one of the most consumed general use plastic material worldwide. In Pakistan, PVC is increasingly being used in the manufacture of pipes and fitting, wires and cables coating, footwear, films, sheets, bottles and cans, flooring and profiles. Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited (EPCL), the only PVC manufacturer in Pakistan, is working in Pakistan since last year to promote the usage of PVC doors and windows profiles. Major efforts have been taken by its market development team to motivate the end consumers such as DHA (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad), ERRA, PHA, LDA, CDA etc., to convert their usage of conventional door and windows to PVC. Due to EPCL's efforts there is an increasing trend towards usage of PVC doors and windows profiles in Pakistan. People have starting importing PVC based profiles for local fabrication of doors and windows and one of the company's customers has also set up a state of the art PVC profile manufacturing plant with complete testing and fabrication facility. Currently, the plant's capacity is 70 windows per day on average. EPCL market development team is providing complete support to its customer at every level and the plant's capacity will soon increase as the demand for PVC doors and windows grows. The usage of PVC doors and windows will initiate the "Green Revolution's in the country as this will lead to a decline in the usage of wood in the construction sector. The decrease in the use of wood will ultimately decrease the rate of deforestation. This will help conserve the biologica1 integrity of the natural ecosystem and reduce the perils of deforestation such as soil erosion and large-scale desertification in Pakistan.