My next door neighbour wants to build a vinyl fence between his property and mine, a length of about 35 ' and 8' high.  Is vinyl fencing the same thing as PVC?  I would rather have a wood fence mostly because of the chemicals used to manufacture the vinyl and the fact that it can't be disposed of properly once it's worn out. Plus I like the aesthetics of wood, but my neighbour is not in that head space at all.  He mentioned that vinyl will last a lot longer than wood, and I know that he is wanting to go for "maintainance free" in terms of not having to stain it or replace it as quickly.  Plus I think the quality of the wood available in building materials is lower than it used to be and early warping would be a pain.  The current wood fence probably lasted 20 + years.

Does anyone have info about the toxicity of vinyl fencing?  Will vinyl leach chemicals into my garden soil?  Will it affect the air quality in my yard, or is the fact that the fence is outdoors mitigate most of the harm?  Is there anything else I need to think about?  How to I broach the topic with my neighbour, who I would like to have good relations with, without alienating him?  Thanks.