[GRRN] Fwd: RE:Comments on ALLIANCE AIMS AT DOUBLING BOTTLE RECYCLING

From: Gary Liss (gary@garyliss.com)
Date: Thu Sep 14 2000 - 16:38:31 EDT

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    >From: "Miller, Kevin" <kmiller@cityofnapa.org>
    >To: "'Gary Liss'" <gary@garyliss.com>
    >X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21)
    >
    >Just a quick thought about the "all bottle" concept promoted by the APC.
    >One of the studies that APC uses to support it "all bottle" concept is one
    >from Napa in 1996. We came to an entirely different conclusion that APC did
    >from the same set of data.
    >
    >The "All Bottle" recycling concept is somewhat of a scam because it
    >perpetuates the notion (buttressed by the # 1-7 coding within the chasing
    >arrows symbol) that "all" plastics are recyclable. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER
    >FROM THE TRUTH!!!
    >
    >In fact, what the APC study did show in our community was that the amount of
    ># 3-7 plastics collected would mean they would have to be segregated from #
    >1's & # 2's, just to be thrown out!! At the same time, the specs for
    >recycling # 1 & # 2 have become more and more restrictive. For example,
    >the PRCC now doesn't want blue or brown # 1's and has a virtually
    >non-existent tolerance for any #3 (PVC) that might contaminate the PETE
    >loads. Also, many buyers of colored # 2 do not want any bottles that
    >contained motor oil or toxic chemicals from households (e.g., bleach
    >bottles, cleaner, pesticides, automotive fluids, herbicides, etc.) because
    >of storm water permitting problems at their storage/processing facilities.
    >These restricted colored # 2's represent somewhere between 25%-40% of the
    >available bottles in this resin type.
    >
    >In Napa, we only recycled one or two loads per year (30-60 tons) of colored
    >HDPE a year. The extra sorting required to recover a couple of extra tons
    >was not cost effective nor justified in terms diversion, collection costs,
    >labor sorting costs, or market value. For these reasons, Napa actually has
    >discontinued collecting colored # 2 plastics and have shifted that labor
    >cost to mixed paper collection and processing. Instead of intensive sorting
    >for 10-20 tons more plastic bottles, we are recycling an additional 800-1000
    >tons of mixed paper.
    >
    >Beyond all this, there is an ethical question of promoting "all plastic
    >bottle" recycling when # 3 - # 7 resins are likely to be landfilled anyway.
    >We had the same problem with paper milk & juice cartons which currently
    >don't have reasonable domestic markets. Any way, I though it was worth
    >sharing our local experience with APC's self-serving conclusions.
    >
    >Kevin Miller
    >Waste Reduction/Recycling Coordinator
    >City of Napa
    >p. (707) 257-9520x7291
    >f. (707) 257-9522
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Gary Liss [mailto:gary@garyliss.com]
    > Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 2:07 PM
    > To: gary@garyliss.com
    > Subject: Fwd: ALLIANCE AIMS AT DOUBLING BOTTLE
    >RECYCLING
    >
    >
    > >Subject: ALLIANCE AIMS AT DOUBLING BOTTLE RECYCLING
    > >
    > >Plastics News
    > >September 8, 2000
    > >
    >

    Gary Liss
    916-652-7850
    Fax: 916-652-0485



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