[P2assist] Biggest enviornmental issue

[Tom Rhodes]

Excellent point, Susan. Closing the loop is essential to the survival of
recycling programs. It takes bold entrepreneurs to work in the areas of
collection and processing, but their work is all in vain unless we are there
closing the loop behind them by purchasing goods made from recycled
materials.

On the marketing side, North Carolina's Recycling Business Assistance Center
(RBAC)  http://www.p2pays.org/rbac/ is striving to assist and encourage
recycling businesses in the state. Market development is very important.
RBAC also continually updates its Directory of Markets for Recyclable
Materials http://www.p2pays.org/DMRM/
We all should be personally closing the loop to support all recycling
businesses so recycling and reuse can be more successful.

As Ron Townley pointed out, we should take a holistic approach to
environmental stewardship. We are all responsible for all aspects of taking
care of our environment, including reduction and recycling of solid waste,
energy and water conservation, hazardous waste reduction, pollution
prevention and so on.

Tom Rhodes
Waste Management Analyst
NC DENR Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance
1639 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27629-1639
(919) 715-6516
"To The Greater Good....."
tom.rhodes@ncmail.net
www.p2pays.org
Join the P2pays Listserv at
http://ncc-1701d.p2pays.org/mailman/listinfo/p2assist
----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Newman <sueb@netpath.net>
To: <p2assist@ncc-1701d.p2pays.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2001 10:04 AM
Subject: [P2assist] Biggest enviornmental issue


> 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.
>
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