[GRRN] Pollution Laws Nexus with Recycling

RecycleWorlds (anderson@msn.fullfeed.com)
Mon, 3 May 1999 08:49:52 -0500

According to the 4/26/99 Pulp & Paper Week, seven kraft mills have
been cited by EPA for non-compliance with the Clean Air Act. This is,
apparently, part of a crackdown on kraft pulp mills, especially for their
cluster rule on air/water impacts. To return to compliance could cost each
mill
"'tens of millions of dollars,'" according to EPA.

This has potentially important implications for recycling because the
cost of compliance to upgrade for pollution requirements is almost certain
to far
exceed the cost to utilize recycled corrugated/mixed paper feedstock.

That is to say, polllution laws may in the near future create a strong
upward push on demand for those recovered fibers, and with it, all other
things being equal, higher prices as well.

This suggests that we may be well served to more closely track and work
with
environmentalists to connect the two.

Peter

____________________________________
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