Today's Topics:
APR Press Release on PVC
GreenYes Digest V98 #96
PVC in Trouble in Japan
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Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 13:16:56 -0700
From: Rick Best <rgbest@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: APR Press Release on PVC
The following press release was sent out from the Association of
Postconumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) on the PVC issue.
APR TAKES A STAND ON PVC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON (April 1998) - The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers
(APR) announced today that its efforts to establish long-term, economically
viable markets for post-consumer PVC bottles, with eth assistance of the
Vinyl Institute, have proven unsuccessful. Because of this, APR is
declaring that post-consumer PVC bottles are a contaminant to the recycling
of PET and HDPE bottles. The APR's position was announced after more than
a year's effort to re-establish markets for the material.
"The Vinyl Institute had indicated that they would present a solution to
our dilemma at our February board meeting, but they didn't," reported Robin
Cotchan, APR's manager. "Our members are doing their job to collect the
bottles only to find that they can't sell them," she continued.
"We have met numerous times with representatives from the Vinyl Institute,
and they have come up empty handed," said Gary Pratt, APR board Member and
president of P&R Environmental Industries. "We are being told that it is
not economically feasible to convert PVC bottles into pellets. We say that
it is too expensive for us to process PVC bottles only to throw them away.
It's time to tell it like it is: PVC bottles have no place in post-consumer
plastic bottle recycling."
PVC packaging is a major contaminant to PET recycling, and its removal
comes at a substantial cost to recyclers and reprocessors that they are
unable to recover. "They've only given us lip service -- the vinyl
industry better realize how serious this is. We're going to view this
material as a contaminant, and you sure won't find PVC packaging listed as
a recycled plastic in APR's revised design guidelines," asserted Steve
Babinchak, president of St. Jude Polymer Corporation. "This stuff is a
real problem and the industry has to do something about it," adds Babinchak.
PVC has also become a problem for HDPE reprocessors. Recently, a major
Midwest dairy has begun using shrink labels made of PVC on milk bottles.
Because the labels are difficult to completely remove in the washing
process, it presents reprocessors with new challenges. Arthur Ferguson,
division manager of KW Plastics recycling division says, "We are concerned
that the appearance of PVC in the HDPE stream could shorten the life of our
equipment."
"When you think of how much money it costs the industry to remove PVC, the
financial impact is staggering," Pratt said. "The capital costs invested
in sensors, the cost of testing to determine quality levels, and then the
number of shipments from recyclers each year that are rejected because of
PVC contamination - the whole plastics recycling industry would run more
smoothly if PVC was not part of the post-consumer packaging waste stream."
"This is a major issue which confronts all of our members," comments
Dennis Sabourin, vice president of Wellman Inc. and chairman of APR. "The
APR is continuing to work with the Vinyl Institute to find a solution which
is acceptable to both parties."
As a result, APR's Market Development Committee plans to meet in April and
address the PVC contaminant issue and representatives from the Vinyl
Institute have been invited to attend. "Our committee plans to recommend
further action with regards to PVC at APR's June board meeting," says Jerry
Weis, chairman of APR's Market Development Committee and senior vice
president of polymer processing at Environmental Products Corporation.
The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers is an association
comprised of companies who acquire, reprocess, and sell post-consumer
plastics. Its membership includes independent recycling companies of all
sizes and the recycling divisions of several major resin suppliers. It
strongly advocates the recycling of all post-consumer plastic bottles.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:43:52 -0600
From: "Katharine P. Bennett" <KatBennett@usa.net>
Subject: GreenYes Digest V98 #96
In response to Petrochemical industry fighting for vinyl-chloride
By Kazuta Umezu
Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
the following statement appeared:
<<Chlorine, which is considered the source of incinerator dioxin emissions,
is present in household garbage as well, and the percentage of
vinyl-chloride products in such garbage is extremely low, the council claims.
To solve the problem of dioxin emissions, the council says incinerators
should be modernized to burn garbage at temperatures higher than 700 C. The
industry said it supported upgrades of existing incinerators or the
construction of new ones.>>
Several years ago I did some research into incineration of mixed municipal
solid wastes, including RDF, tires, and "wet" waste. There was some
evidence at that time that even if garbate is incinerated at temperatures
higher than 700 degrees (some cement kilns burn at 2000 degrees or higher),
that dioxins can still form when the ash cools down. Since chlorine is an
element and cannot be destroyed, it's logical to assume that chlorinated
plastics could be incinerated at high temperatures, but the chloride will
remain in the ash.
Is there any current info out there about the formation of dioxins in ash
as it cools?
Kat Bennett
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Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 08:39:25 +0900
From: oldxeye@crisscross.com (Hop)
Subject: PVC in Trouble in Japan
Some people weren't able to read this article when sent as an attached
file. Sorry. Here it is again (from:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/0416ec30.htm) in e-mail form.
Daily Yomiuri - 16/4/98
Petrochemical industry fighting for vinyl-chloride
By Kazuta Umezu
Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
The petrochemical industry has launched a full-scale
counteroffensive against the growing opposition to vinyl
chloride, which emits toxic dioxin when burned in garbage
incinerators at low temperatures.
Whether the counteroffensive will be effective is the
focus of much attention. To a large extent that will
depend on whether the industry's claims are convincing
and whether its proposals are realistic.
Vinyl chloride and other chloric compounds emit dioxin
when burned at temperatures lower than 700 C. For this
reason, an increasing number of manufacturing firms are
discontinuing use of chloric compounds and developing
chlorine-free products instead.
In the plastic-wrap manufacturing industry, the major
products are vinyl chloride-based products. But
manufacturers are beginning to replace chlorinated
plastic wrap with chlorine-free products.
For example, in March, Lion Corp. began selling a
three-layer wrap consisting of a nylon sheet sandwiched
between sheets of polypropylene. Itochu Sanplus Co.
followed suit in April.
Emphasizing the environmentally friendly nature of their
new products in advertisements, the two companies are
poised to challenge the two leading wrap makers, whose
chlorinated products account for 80 percent of the market
share.
In the cosmetics industry, Shiseido Co. has said it will
eliminate chloric compounds from all of its containers by
fiscal 2000.
In response, the Vinyl Environmental Council (VEC), which
was established by the petrochemical industry, said on
March 30 that it will dispatch 500 officials to 3,302
local governments across the nation to directly explain
the significance and usefulness of vinyl chloride.
The council contends that vinyl chloride makes a positive
contribution to society and also serves to protect the
environment.
Different from oil-based products, nearly 60 percent of
vinyl-chloride products are made of chlorine. This means
that production of vinyl-chloride products helps to
reduce the use of oil, a nonrenewable resource, the
council said.
VEC also said the carbon dioxide discharged in the
production of vinyl-chloride products and the energy
consumed are less than those of other petrochemical
products. Therefore, it argues, vinyl-chloride products
contribute to preservation of the environment.
According to the council, the cheaply produced vinyl
chloride is excellent for holding liquids and other
substances and is indispensable in the production of
numerous products, including water and sewer pipes,
electric wires, window frames, and drug and blood
containers. For this reason, the council stressed, vinyl
chloride contributes to society.
The second major point in the council's counterargument
is that the dioxin pollution problem will not be resolved
by merely removing vinyl chloride.
Chlorine, which is considered the source of incinerator
dioxin emissions, is present in household garbage as
well, and the percentage of vinyl-chloride products in
such garbage is extremely low, the council claims.
To solve the problem of dioxin emissions, the council
says incinerators should be modernized to burn garbage at
temperatures higher than 700 C. The industry said it
supported upgrades of existing incinerators or the
construction of new ones.
Annually, 1.3 million tons of vinyl-chloride products are
discarded. Of the 1 million tons from industry, about
10,000 tons are recycled and the rest is used as fuel to
produce cement and other products. A project to use
vinyl-chloride as a raw material for producing iron is
under way. Plants for converting vinyl-chloride into fuel
oil are under construction.
By making these arguments, VEC hopes to convince
companies and consumers of the benefits of
vinyl-chloride.
Manufacturing companies, always cognizant of consumer
opinion, however, are critical of the council's
arguments.
"The reality is that products that have made a bad
impression on consumers will never sell well. So the
council's claim that other substances also emit dioxin is
not convincing enough," said a manufacturing company
official.
In addition, there are many factors to be considered in
an upgrading process, such as how to minimize costs and
boost demand for recycled products.
To resolve these problems, not only the petrochemical
industry but the central and local governments must work
diligently. Furthermore, there is a need to consult
consumers on how useful vinyl chloride is and how it
should be disposed of.
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Date: Thu, 24 Mar 1904 12:17:46 -0500
From: Maria Archuleta <archuleta_m@sws.ci.austin.tx.us>
Subject: unsubscribe
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End of GreenYes Digest V98 #97
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