I handle the PVC pipe storage system in the yard for my company. The yard is a totally open area and pipe is directly exposed to sun light. In the summer the sun is high and due to this lots of pipe gets damaged due to sun burn/degradation and yellowish and brownish marks appear.
How can I save these pipes from becoming scrap without using any roof or shed?
PVC breaks down when exposed to sunlight as do all plastics. Some PVC-based products have additives to slow down the degradation but there is ultimately no way of stopping it. Left exposed long enough, it will break down.
Your question, I think, is really: "How long can I leave PVC exposed to sunlight before the degradation affects its marketability?"
The answer is: "It depends!"
It depends on the individual product and its material properties as well as things like the intensity and duration of sunlight. (Think Seattle, WA vs. Tucson, AZ) It's also going to depend on the opinion of your customers and how much exposure they will accept.
I can only see two options:
There are no "miracle" solutions that I am aware of.
Investigate the cost of installing some sort of roof, whether it be tarps on poles or a full on metal/wood roof. Don't forget to include sides on the east and west, to protect against the early- and late-day sun, and the south (or north, depending on your hemisphere) side to protect against winter sun.
Present the costs to your management, along with the cost of pipe lost to sun damage each year and explain that it will only take 1 or 2 or 3 (or however many) summers of not lost pipe to pay for the roof, after which there will, effectively be no loss and the roofing will pay for itself by not costing your company lost material.
Thinking outside the box and saving the company money tends to make happy bosses and can lead to pay raises and/or promotion!
