[P2assist] Biggest enviornmental issue

[Susan Newman]

I agree with the comments made yesterday concerning the recycling issues,
and would simply like to add that the consumer seems to think that if one is
recycling their milk jugs and soda bottles, they are doing their part. I ask
anyone that gives me the opportunity if, when they go to K-Mart,
WalMart,etc...if they ever look for recycled content in the products they
buy. Typically the answer is an embarrassed "no".  How can we expect
manufacturers to use recycled material in their products if there is no
demand from the consumer? Especially in a soft market like today, when
off-spec virgin resins are being sold as cheap as re-pelletized plastic?
Where is the manufacturer's motivation? It's certainly much easier to use
virgin than deal with the potential contamination issues with recycled
plastic, especially regrind.

As a business owner, people not in this industry are forever telling me I
must have a goldmine, and on the contrary, since opening in '98, I've eaten
more hotdogs that I care to think about. I've been in this industry since
the mid 80's and EVERY company I've worked for, and there have been several,
have filed bankruptcy. There have certainly been other contributing factors
than the recycling industrie's woes, but I have to remind folks that we're
not in Europe, where recycling is so strong, but in America, where we are
given a choice and this industry is still in the "toddler" stages. I have to
challenge consumers to talk to managers at the department stores and demand
more products with recycled content, be it plastic, paper, glass, and so on.

I'll pose this question to those of you out there in this industry...When
you go shopping, are YOU making it a point to look for products that have
recycled content? See, most of us are guilty of this lack of effort, even if
we are in this industry.

Susan Newman-President
New Life Plastic Recycling, Inc.