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RE: [greenyes] new PET bottle recycling method ?


I thought I'd send my answers to Debra's questions to the entire list in
case there are others out there with the same questions.

My Comment: "They (Pet refillable bottles) can and are being sterilized and
reused in many countries."
Question: "Why not in US? Is there a law preventing that?"
Answer: There is nothing preventing the beverage bottlers and distributors
of soft drinks, beer and non-carbonated beverages from introducing refilable
PET beverage bottles in North America. But now that they have dismantled
their system of refillable bottles they aren't interested in hauling
refillables long distances back to the bottling plants and breweries to be
sterilized, refilled and shipped off to retail outlets. They prefer the
"use it once and throw it away or maybe recycle it" bottles and cans.

My Comment: "These (refillable PET bottles) are not like the PET bottles
sold in the U.S. "
Question: "How are the two PET bottles different?"
ANswer: Refillable PET beverage bottles are thicker and a little heavier
than one-way PET bottles. I'd say the PET soft drink bottles probably
weighs about twice as much as a one-way PET soda bottle. FYI--beer is also
sold in refillable PET bottles and I believe (but am not positive) that
water is as well.


MORE ON REFILLABLE PET BOTTLES
I found this old article from one of our 1996 newsletters: Refillables Grow
in European Market --Beverage World Database reports that refillable PET
soft drink bottles grew from just 1% of soft drink market volume in Western
Europe in 1990 to 14% in 1994.

HERE'S A LINK TO A WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO AND A PICTURE
http://www.apme.org/dashboard/business_layer/template.asp?url=http://www.apm
e.org/media/public_documents/20010817_091941/packaging_reusable_bottles.htm


****************************************
Patricia Franklin
Executive Director
Container Recycling Institute
1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, Ste. 702
Arlington, VA 22209

TEL: 703.276.9800
FAX: 703.276.9587
EMAIL: pfranklin@no.address

http://www.container-recycling.org
http://www.bottlebill.info
****************************************
-----Original Message-----
From: Debra Lombard [mailto:dlombard@no.address]
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 4:18 PM
To: Pat Franklin
Subject: RE: [greenyes] new PET bottle recycling method ?



HI Pat,

I have seen your informative posts for many years.

You said, "THey can and are being sterilized and reused in many countries."
Why not in US? Is there a law preventing that?

"These are not the PET bottles sold in the U.S. "
How are the two PET bottles different??

Thanks!
Deb

Debra Lombard
LEEDtm Accredited Professional
Lighting & Sustainable Design
The RETEC Group
900 Chapel St., 2nd Fl - Box 9
New Haven, CT 06510
Tel: 203-776-2358 x 237
Fax: 203-773-3657
www.retec.com
dlombard@no.address





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