[GreenYes] Re: [reusablebags] polypropelene nonwoven fiber bags

["Thomas Shelley" <tjs1@no.address>]

At 01:19 PM 1/3/2008 -0700, you wrote:

> Happy
> New Year, everyone&
> Does anyone have info about recycling of polypropelene nonwoven fiber
> bags?  These have become very popular in stores in AZ.  The two
> giveaways I got fell apart very quickly at the stitching.  Since
> this material is a plastic, I am very concerned about what will happen to
> all these bags as they wear out.  A google search revealed little
> information.  The City of Phoenix says they are not
> recyclable.

Dear Anne and Colleagues--Sorry for the delay in  my response.  I am recovering from foot surgery and everything has slowed down for me.  I have consulted with the Wegmans Supermarket chain, our local, higher-end supermarkets.  They also dispense the 99 cent, non-woven poly bags.  I have seven and one had a defective seam, right away, and they replaced it immediately.  Most of the other larger chains in our area have followed suite and are selling the inexpensive non-woven poly bags as well.  Almost all (99.9 percent plus) of them are all made in China and most of them come to the US via a Canadian firm.  The firm listed below is the firm being used by the Wegmans chain.  The person I spoke with in their corporate headquarters, in Rochester, NY, said that they had very good success with this firm and that they are prompt, reliable, have good pricing, etc.  So I would check them out.  Take care and have a wonderful day.  Tom

P.S.:  We are still promoting the non-petro based reusable bags over poly bags, but there is a giant social/economic sustainability issue in that poor people can not afford the high-end $20-30 organic cotton bags, but they can afford the 99 cent non-woven polypropylene bags.  This is a very critical issue social justice issue.  We are also looking at the compostable, non-GMO corn polymer bags made by Biobags as an alternative to thin-HDPE bags when one-time use bags are still "needed", or perceived to be needed. 

Contact: stevenpatterson6@no.address
Suntex Plastics Corporation
Steven Patterson
125 East Merritt Island Cswy, Suite 209, PMB#314
Merritt Island, FL 32952
Phone: 321-455-6671 Fax: 321-459-1186 [A more recent phone # may be: 321-459-9879.]

I don't have a corporate Web site, but they are advertised in various trade Web sites, such as:
http://www.recycle.net/trade/aa615693.html

Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tjs1@no.address
http://www.myspace.com/99319958
P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

The World Commission on Environment and Development,
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987

MY NOTE:  Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as growth per se is not sustainable.  And the term "sustainable" has to mean "for a very long time" (A. Bartlett). 

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives."        Sioux proverb