Today's Topics:
Foam HDPE Bottles
Landfill Prices
Plastic Prices
Plastics and Health (2 msgs)
VENTURE CAPITAL FOR RECYCLING BUSINESSES
WASTE: Airport/Airline waste prevention and recycling
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Loop-Detect: GreenYes:98/62
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Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 14:02:41 -0600
From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com>
Subject: Foam HDPE Bottles
According to the March 1998 issue of Modern Plastics (p. 28),
"Foam blow molding makes its debut with HDPE shampoo bottle," there is
a new process by a German blow molder Alpla Technik to produce foam
HDPE bottles (either 100% foam or a thin outer non-foamed exterior
wall and coextruded inner foamed wall).
It is said to use 20%-25% less material and 25% less pigment (the
density changes from a normal 0.96 g/cc to 0.78-0.80 g/cc.
The gas bubbles in the foam structure produces a whitening effect
that displaces the need for TiO2.
The foaming is done with a endothermic, nucleated foaming
agent.
Nothing is indicated as to its price premium, nor as to its impact
on recycling. Presumably, the foaming could simply outgas when
reground, leaving only the lower quantity of resin per bottle unit as
an adverse impact to recyclers, but that is conjecture.
____________________________________
Peter Anderson
RecycleWorlds Consulting
4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011
E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 09:27:59 -0600
From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com>
Subject: Landfill Prices
At BFI's annual meeting, according to the 3/9/98 Waste News, CEO Bruce
Ranck was asked about the company's disappointing earnings. "He
blamed it on the loss of a number of municipal contracts or their
renweal at lower rates. IN ADDITION, THERE HAS BEN A LOT OF PRESURE ON
LANDFILL PRICING, FURTHER DRIVING DOWN INCOME, he said."
Notwithstanding the upsurge in transfer stations, landfill prices are
still substantially local and this comment may or may not pertain to
any given region.
____________________________________
Peter Anderson
RecycleWorlds Consulting
4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011
E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 11:52:05 -0600
From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com>
Subject: Plastic Prices
According to the March 9, 1998 Plastic News, between 1996 and 1997,
the proportion of postconsumer HDPE sold to bottle grade end markets
decreased by 5.4 percentage points and the proportion to plastic
lumber and pallets increased by 5.5%.
This is a very, very unfortunate trend because of its serious adverse
impact on the price that recycling programs will receive for the
plastic bottles.
A trended analysis that we have done indicates that -- after
subtracting for the 8 cents/pd. cost to pelletize sometimes required
by bottle markets -- the difference in the price paid by the high vs
the low end markets is 10-15 cents/pd.
Presumably, the downgrading that these aggregate figures show,
suggests that either (1) bottle makers are feeling less pressure to
use recycled content; or (2) the quality of the bottles collected by
recycling programs is declining. Since the price of HDPE postconsumer
and virgin was higher in 1997 than 1996, one would not expect that the
difference is accounted for economic reasons.
____________________________________
Peter Anderson
RecycleWorlds Consulting
4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011
E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 14:12:58 -0600
From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com>
Subject: Plastics and Health
According to the editorial Viewpoint in the 3/9/98 issue of Plastic
News, "The stakes are high in endocrine debate:"
"People who think the plastics industry's image suffers
fromenvironmental problems now should pay attention to the smoldering
debated around endocrine disrupters. They could make executives long
for the days of the garbage barge.
"That's because those old arguments focused on public policy
abstractions such as whether enough plastic is recycled, while the new
conerns over endocrine dirupters have the potential for a much more
personal impact -- our health."
The editorial goes on to note the contribution of Teho Colburn,
but conclude that more research is needed to determine whether
suspected agents, nonpyphenols, phthalates or bisphenol A are in fact
mimicing estrogen an dother natural endocrine chemicals in the human
body.
As the trade journal editorial notes, this could have major
significance for reviving an intense debate over packaging.
____________________________________
Peter Anderson
RecycleWorlds Consulting
4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011
E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 14:12:30 -0600
From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com>
Subject: Plastics and Health
According to the editorial Viewpoint in the 3/9/98 issue of Plastic
News, "The stakes are high in endocrine debate:"
"People who think the plastics industry's image suffers
fromenvironmental problems now should pay attention to the smoldering
debated around endocrine disrupters. They could make executives long
for the days of the garbage barge.
"That's because those old arguments focused on public policy
abstractions such as whether enough plastic is recycled, while the new
conerns over endocrine dirupters have the potential for a much more
personal impact -- our health."
The editorial goes on to note the contribution of Teho Colburn,
but conclude that more research is needed to determine whether
suspected agents, nonpyphenols, phthalates or bisphenol A are in fact
mimicing estrogen an dother natural endocrine chemicals in the human
body.
As the trade journal editorial notes, this could have major
significance for reviving an intense debate over packaging.
____________________________________
Peter Anderson
RecycleWorlds Consulting
4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011
E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 11:18:46 -0800
From: Gregg Foster <inc@northcoast.com>
Subject: VENTURE CAPITAL FOR RECYCLING BUSINESSES
I recall that there was a notice some time ago about a venture capital forum
or some other instrument for linking investors to recycling businesses
needing investment, not debt, capital.
Unfortunately, I seemed to have deleted the message and I need that
information now.
Could someone point me in the right direction?
Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 11:33:15 -0800
From: Ann Schneider <aschneid@cats.ucsc.edu>
Subject: WASTE: Airport/Airline waste prevention and recycling
Hi All:
Didn't catch the original message but wanted to elaborate on American
Airlines recycling programs. Heather Bell (with assistance from the
City of San Jose in 1989) started an aluminum and glass and magazine
recycling program from the airplanes. Paper and other recyclables were
collected from the offices. Heather went back to grad school.... 5
years ago +.... American has since added those lunch bag on many of
their flights. Entirely disposable.
One step forward, two steps backwards.
Ann Schneider
Univ. of Calif. Santa Cruz
formerly with the City of San Jose.
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End of GreenYes Digest V98 #62
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