Table of Contents Resource Management 3 What is resource management, and why is it important? How do plastics contribute to effective resource management? Plastics 4 How are plastics made? Why are plastics used in packaging? Why do we need different kinds of plastics? 5 What about CFCs? Energy Efficiency 6 Can plastics actually save energy? Would more energy be conserved if plastic packaging were replaced by non-plastic alternatives? Waste Reduction: Less Waste in the First Place 7 What is in our waste stream? How is waste managed today? 8 9 1 How do plastics contribute to waste reduction? Are plastics the reason that landfills fill up? Can plastics be used more than once before disposal? Recycling 11 How much plastic is recycled? How does plastics recycling work? 12 How many communities collect plastics for recycling? How many plastics recyclers are there? Why is sorting so important in plastics recycling?
13 14 What kinds of products are made with recycled plastics? Can plastics be recycled back into food and beverage containers? What is the plastics industry doing to increase the level of plastics recycling? What are advanced recycling technologies? Incineration 16 What happens inside a modern waste-to-energy facility? Is waste-to-energy incineration safe? 17 How much waste-to-energy capacity is there? How do plastics contribute to waste-to-energy incineration? Landfilling 18 How do modern landfills protect the environment? Can degradable plastics solve the solid waste problem? Are we running out of safe places to put landfills? 19 Why are so many landfills being closed? Durables 2 What are durable goods, and what is their role in the waste stream? Can plastics from durable goods be recycled? 21 What specific advantages do plastics bring to durable goods? Sources Information Available
What is resource management, and why is it important? Through effective resource management, we can minimize our impact on the planet by using the Earth s resources wisely. To do this, we must conserve resources and lessen the environmental impact of the products we use, from raw materials to manufacture to distribution and on through ultimate disposal. In other words, we should strive to minimize the energy consumed and pollutants generated during production as well as the waste following use. How do plastics contribute to effective resource management? From manufacture to use to waste management, plastics help conserve resources. Their unique properties and characteristics - light weight, durability, formability - enable manufacturers to minimize the materials used, energy consumed and waste generated by products ranging from automobiles to coffee cups. The pages that follow provide answers to the most commonly asked questions about plastics and their role in resource management. 3
Sources Information Available 8 How are plastics made? Plastics are made up of building blocks called hydrocarbons, derived from petroleum or natural gas. These monomers (small molecules) are chemically bonded into chains called polymers or plastic resins. Different combinations of monomers yield resins with special properties and characteristics. U.S. Energy Consumption Industrial (excluding plastics) 33% Transportation Residential and Commercial 36% 8 Why are plastics used in packaging? Packaging is used to protect the quality of goods - ranging from sensitive electronics to fresh and prepared foods - during shipping, t) handling and merchandising. Plastics are a versatile family of materials that are suitable for a wide range of packaging applications. In many cases, plastics offer the best protection while using minimal resources and creating less waste than alternative materials. In fact, 4 percent more material by weight would be needed to make packaging if there were no plastics, while the volume of packaging would increase by 25 percent. I eooeoomm 8 Why do we need different kinds of plastics? Copper, iron and aluminum are all metals, but you wouldn t make a car out of iron or a beer can out of copper. Likewise, while plastics are all related, each resin has attributes that make it best suited to specific applications. Six resins account for 97 percent of the plastics used in packaging: PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is a clear, tough polymer with exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties. PET S unique ability to keep carbon dioxide (carbonation) from escaping makes it ideal for use in soft drink bottles.
Sources Information Avai I ab I e HDPE (high density polyethylene) is used in milk, juice and water bottles in order to take advantage of its organoleptic properties. In other words, HDPE containers do not impart any unwanted taste or odor to their contents. Its stress crack and chemical resistance properties also make it well-suited for packaging items such as household chemicals and detergents. Vinyl (polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) provides excellent clarity, puncture resistance and cling. As a film, vinyl can breathe just the right amount, making it the material of choice for packaging fresh meats that require oxygen to ensure a bright red surface while maintaining an acceptable shelf life. PVC bottles are used to package automotive products and lighter fluid because of their resistance to moisture transmission. LDPE (low density polyethylene) offers clarity and flexibility. It is used in items such as grocery bags or garbage bags to take advantage of its strength and toughness in film form. PP (polypropylene) has a high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold tightly onto screw threads. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hotfilled with products designed to cool in bottles such as ketchup and syrup. PS (polystyrene), in its crystalline form, is a colorless plastic that can be clear and hard, as in salad containers. It can also be foamed to provide exceptional insulation properties. Foamed or expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for products such as meat trays, egg cartons and beverage cups. It is also used for packaging and protecting appliances, electronics and other sensitive products. Plastic Bottles by Resin Type Bottles = 28.1% of Plastic Packaging What about CFCs? 5 In 1988, concern over the impact of CFCs on the Earth s ozone layer led manufacturers of polystyrene foodservice products to voluntarily discontinue the use of hlly halogenated chlorofluorocarbons ( CFCs). Many manufacturers have switched to HCFC-22, which reduces harm to the ozone layer by more than 95 percent.
Sources Information Available 8 Can plastics actually save energy? Yes. The raw materials that go into the production of plastics account for only 1.5 percent of total U.S. energy consumption. In addition, it often takes less energy to convert plastics from a raw material into a finished product than comparable products made of other materials: Plastic grocery bags require 4 percent less energy to make than paper bags. O - Foam polystyrene containers use 3 percent less total energy than paperboard containers. O Fifty-three billion kilowatt hours of electricity are saved annually by improvements in major appliance energy efficiency made possible by plastic applications. Without plastics, these appliances would use 3 percent more energy. 8 Would more energy be conserved if plastic packaging were replaced by non-plastic alternatives? No. Without plastics, the energy used to produce packaging would double. In fact, the plastic packaging used in 199 alone saved the energy equivalent of Philadelphia's electricity needs for more than two and a half years. e 6
8 What is in our waste stream? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives the following breakdown of municipal solid waste (MSW) by material: Materials in MSW by Volume Food Wastes 3% Yard Wastes 1% Paper 32% Categories of MSW by Volume Plastics 1.% Nondurables 3.4 Packaging 32.7% aper 13 1% Metal 3 3% Other 4 7% Glass 1 6% Durables 23.1% ther Wastes 13.8% 8 How is waste managed today? The vast majority of solid waste in America is landfilled, but that percentage is shrinking. Recycling, composting and waste-to-energy incineration - using solid waste as a he1 to generate electricity - are increasingly common waste management alternatives. Waste Management in the U.S. 7 1988 199 1995 (est.)
How do plastics contribute to waste reduction? Plastics are strong yet lightweight, meaning it often requires less plastic to make a certain package compared to other possible materials:.i- LL. a, a, I 2 m q I c I I m- a I The plastic film wrappers now used for large diaper packs create 5 percent less waste by volume than previous packages. Plastic bags contribute up to 8 percent less waste by volume than paper sacks. 46" v Also, because plastics technology keeps improving, it is possible to make plastic packaging even lighter. Normal economic market forces cause manufacturers to look for ways to reduce the cost of their packages by minimizing the amount of material used: Today's milk jug, made of HDPE plastic, weighs only 6 grams. The same jug weighed 95 grams - over 5 percent more - in the early 197s. Plastic grocery sacks were 2.3 mils (thousandths of an inch) thick in 1976 and were down to 1.75 mils by 1984. In 1989, new technology gave us the same strength and durability in a bag only.7 mils thick. Along with weight/size reductions, plastics can contribute to waste reduction in other ways: Increased life span - The physical properties of plastics allow them to be used in multiple applications, while their durability and flexibility allow them to be used again and again. For example, laundry products are being packaged in reusable plastic bottles. Small packages of Concentrated product are used to refill the original bottles, helping to reduce total packaging waste. 8
Sources Information Available Transportation savings - Plastics are lighter than many alternative materials, and reduced the weight of the average passenger car built in 1988 by 145 pounds. That saves millions of gallons of gasoline each year and will save the energy equivalent of 21 million barrels of oil over those cars lifetimes. Reduction in product losses - Plastics reduce breakage and product loss during transportation. Manufacturers of appliances, electronics and other sensitive products have reduced shipping damages by 5 percent or more by using plastic packing materials. Are plastics the reason that landfills fill up? No. All plastics represent roughly 21 percent by volume of total landfilled wastes (see What is in our waste stream? p. 7), and plastic packaging represents 1 percent by volume. In fact, because plastics make higher-volume containers possible (e.g., economy size bottles), they can deliver more product using less packaging. That means even more packaging would be headed for the landfill if plastics were not available. 9
Can plastics be used more than once before disposal? Yes. One of plastics most unique properties is its durability. This durability makes it the material of choice for commonly re-used items such as food storage containers and refillable sports bottles. Re-use of plastics also helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills: More than 2 schools in seven states and Ontario, Canada, use refillable plastic milk bottles that can be washed, refilled and re-used up to 1 times before being recycled. As much as 4 percent of selected plastic parts from damaged or discarded cars are repaired and re-used, reducing the amount of automotive components sent to landfills. 1
~ Sources Information Avai I ab I e 8 How much plastic is recycled? In 1993, more than 1 billion pounds of plastic packaging were recycled, up from 937 million pounds the previous year, representing an increase of approximately 12 percent. Plastic packaging includes bottles, containers, wraps and films. The following data provide an overview of plastics recycling s progress between 1992 and 1993: 41 percent of PET plastic soft drink bottles were recycled - About 418 million pounds of PET soft drink bottles were recycled last year, up from 381 million pounds in 1992, representing a 9.7 percent increase. PET bottles of all kinds achieved a recycling rate of 3 percent. All plastic bottles achieved a 19 percent recycling rate - Recycling of all kinds of plastic bottles (e.g., milk, soft drink, shampoo, detergent) grew by 9.7 percent to 891 million pounds, up from 812 million pounds in 1992. 16 percent of all plastic bottles and containers were recycled - The recycling of all kinds of rigid plastic bottles and containers (ix., bottles plus margarine tubs, yogurt cups, etc.) grew 9.3 percent to 92 million pounds, up from 825 million pounds in 1992. 8 How does plastics recycling work? Successful recycling of plastics - like any recyclable material - requires an infrastructure that can get plastics from the consumer and back into use as new products. The plastics recycling infrastructure has four parts: Collection - Rather than being thrown away, plastics are collected for recycling. Curbside collection with other materials and drop-off at recycling centers are common plastics collection methods. Handling - Plastics from collection programs are sorted to increase their value and compacted to reduce shipping costs..~ 11 Reclamation - In conventional recycliiig, sorted plastics are chopped, washed and converted into flakes or pellets which are then processed into new products. Advanced recycling technologies
(see What are advanced recycling technologies? p. 14) can take mixed plastics back to their original building blocks (monomers or petroleum feedstocks). These can then be recycled into a number of different products, including new plastics. End-use - Reclaimed plastic pellets or flakes - or petrochemical feedstocks - are used to manufacture new products. 8 HOW many communities collect plastics for recycl i ng? Following an extensive nationwide survey in 1992, the American Plastics Council identified more than 6,6 communities collecting plastics - about 3,9 of which collect plastics at the curb. Of those, roughly 2,3 also collect plastics at drop-off centers. Another 2,7 communities collect plastics through drop-offs alone. In addition, more than 15, grocery stores now collect plastic grocery bags for recycling into new trash can liners and other products. 8 How many plastics recyclers are there? A 1994 study identified more than 1,2 businesses that handle (sort and process) and/or reclaim post-consumer plastics. Information about these businesses has been compiled into a special handlers/ reclaimers database. Community recycling representatives can use the database to locate potential markets for their collected materials by calling the American Plastics Council at 1-8-2-HELP-9. 8 Why is sorting so important in plastics recycling? There are different types of plastics, just as there are different types of metals, papers and glass. Steel and aluminum have to be separated before recycling; different colors of glass must be sorted, usually by ~ hand; and white office paper must be separated from newspapers and paperboard boxes. ~~ Each of the six common packaging plastics has performance characteristics that make it best suited for specific applications (see Why do we need different kinds of plastics? p. 4). Purchasers of recycled plastics want to be sure that these properties are retained by recycled resins, so handlers sort plastics by resin type to command the highest selling price, 12
Sources Information Avai la ble Although sorting adds value to recycled plastics, it also adds to their cost. Most sorting is still done by hand, which can be labor-intensive and cost-inefficient. However, the American Plastics Council recently assisted in bringing two automated sorting systems to the market. A number of these systems are on the market and in use today, 8 What kinds of products are made with re cyc I e d p I ast i cs? The variety of products made with recycled plastics is growing rapidly. Here are just a few examples: Recycled PET is used in producing soft drink bottles, deli and bakery trays, carpets, fiberfill and geotextiles. Recycled HDPE can become bottles for laundry products, recycling bins, agricultural pipe, bags, soft drink bottle base cups or motor oil bottles. Recycled vinyl becomes pipe, fencing and non-food bottles. Recycled LDPE is used to manufacture new bags and film. Recycled PP is used in auto parts, carpets, geotextiles and industrial fibers. Recycled PS is used in a wide range of products, including office accessories, videocassettes and cases and insulation board. To help public and private sector buyers identi products made with recycled plastic, APC publishes The Recycled Plustic Products Source Book which lists more than 1,1 products from more than 3 manufacturers. APC also publishes a consumer s guide to recycled products. Shop Recycled! lists more than 2 commonly used consumer items that are either made from or packaged with recycled plastics. Single copies of both guides can be obtained free of charge by calling APC s Plastics Hotline at 1-8-2-HELP-9. Continued improvements in sorting capacity and cost-efficiency will open the door for still more new products with recycled content. However, economies of scale and logistical considerations may affect the viability of sorting in some instances. That s where the market for recycled mixed plastics comes in. Products now being manufactured with mixed plastics include landscape timbers, benches, picnic tables, marine pilings and shipping pallets. 13
Can plastics be recycled back into food and beverage contain e rs? Yes. Today, recycled PET is used in soft drink bottles, salad dressing bottles and deli trays. Technical and economic barriers will limit widespread use of recycled plastic packaging in direct contact with food. However, the plastics industry continues to invest in research and technology to increase the availability of recycled plastic packaging for use in many different product applications. What is the plastics industry doing to increase the level of plastics recycling? A number of major plastics manufacturers are now operating plastics recycling facilities, turning millions of pounds of post-consumer plastics into new products. Other companies are marketing commercial plastics that contain post-consumer recycled material. Through 1995, the plastics industry will spend more than $1.2 billion building the recycling infrastructure. Individual companies are researching and developing new processes and resins, building new reclamation plants, developing markets and providing grants and loans to support plastics recycling programs. Through organizations such as the American Plastics Council (APC), the industry is developing technologies to collect, sort and reclaim plastics more economically, broadening its focus to include durable products and commercial wastes, researching new applications and end-markets for recycled plastics and promoting existing markets through publications such as The Recycled Plastic Products Source Book and Shop Recycled! What are advanced recycling technologies? The term advanced recycling actually describes a family of plastics recycling processes that yield a variety of versatile end-products. These end-products can be the building blocks from which plastics are made. By actually unlinking or unzipping plastics (polymers) to their original molecular components, recyclers can produce a petroleum product that can be made into monomers (the basic units from which plastics are made) or a number of other petroleum-based products. These processes signal a significant breakthrough in plastics recycling, because the products are identical to current feedstocks and monomers used to produce new plastics. 14
Sources Information Avai la b I e Advanced recycling technologies are designed to augment existing conventional systems as part of an integrated approach. They are designed to increase the volume of post-consumer plastics diverted from the waste stream and expand the variety of plastics that are recycled into new and usell products. a 15
8 What happens inside a modern waste-toenergy facility? The energy value of municipal solid waste (MSW) can be recovered through waste-to-energy incineration. Modern energy recovery facilities burn MSW in special combustion chambers, then use the resulting heat energy to generate steam or electricity. This process reduces the volume of MSW to be landfilled by as much as 9 percent. Energy recovery facilities are designed to achieve high combustion temperatures, which help MSW burn cleaner and create less ash for disposal. Modern air pollution control devices - electrostatic precipitators, dry and wet scrubbers and/or fabric filters - are used to remove potentially harmful particulates and gasses from incinerator emissions. 8 IS waste-to-energy incineration safe? Yes. In 1989, the U.S. Conference of Mayors convened an international blue-ribbon panel of experts to discuss the health and safety impacts of waste-to-energy incineration. The symposium participants concluded that a properly equipped, operated and maintained energy recovery facility can operate within existing regulatory standards for human health and safety. The Clean Air Act of 1991 provided for an additional margin of security with tightened emissions standards. Furthermore, many communities are recognizing the importance of removing recyclables, as well as items such as batteries and household hazardous wastes, before incineration to reduce toxic components in incinerator ash. The symposium participants found that, contrary to popular misconception, there is no evidence to link the incineration of PVC with increased dioxin emissions. Similar conclusions have been reached in a number of sources, including a 1987 study for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Generally speaking, electricity is generated as safely through waste-toenergy incineration as it is through a power plant. 16
Sources Information Avai lab le 8 How much waste-to-energy capacity is there? By year s end 1993, there were 125 energy recovery facilities operating in the United States, with a designed capacity of nearly 99,5 tons per day. An additional seven facilities were under construction, and 37 more were in the planning stages. If all of these facilities come on line as planned, 2 percent of the nation s municipal solid waste will be processed by energy recovery facilities in the year 2. Projected Increase in MSW Incineration t - a cn m 2 5 1 2 a m 2% 199 1995 (est.) 2 (est.) How do plastics contribute to waste-toenergy incineration? Plastics are derived from petroleum or natural gas, giving them a stored energy value higher than any other material commonly found in the waste stream. In fact, one pound of plastics can generate twice as much energy as Wyoming coal and almost as much energy as fuel oil. When plastics are processed in modern waste-to-energy facilities, they can help other wastes combust more completely, leaving less ash for disposal. 17
~~~ 8 How do modern landfills protect the environment? The purpose of solid waste management is to remove wastes from living areas in a way that protects human health and the environment. Landfills fulfill this mission by sealing wastes away from the surrounding environment with liners and daily covering by more than six inches of dirt. By sealing in wastes, landfills also control biodegradation, limiting the risk of explosive methane emissions. Uncontrolled biodegradation could also result in a toxic sludge that, if leaked, would endanger groundwater supplies. Modern landfills almost mummify waste. Recent landfill excavations have turned up 35-year-old newspapers that were still perfectly legible and 15-year-old corn that was still recognizable. - 8 Can degradable plastics solve the solid waste problem? Because landfills are designed to limit degradation, degradable materials of any type are not likely to affect the amount of landfill space available. Likewise, degradability provides no benefit in the areas of recycling and waste-to-energy incineration. In areas where composting or wastewater treatment is available as a solid waste disposal option, however, new degradable plastics may prove effective. Composting plastic and paper waste with other organic compostable materials like yard, food and agricultural waste creates a valuable soil supplement and contributes to improved farming and gardening efficiency. Flushable, biodegradable products are readily treated in a regulated wastewater and sewage treatment facility, reducing the impact on other disposal systems. 18 8 Are we running out of safe places to put landf i I Is? No. While the total number of landfills is decreasing, total landfill capacity is actually increasing. It appears that the trend in solid waste management is to operate fewer, but larger and safer, landfills. For example, in 1988, 7 percent of the country s landfills (the smaller ones) handled less than 5 percent of the MSW that was landfilled nationwide. Fewer than 5 landfills (the bigger ones), or about 8 percent of the total handled about 75 percent of the landfilled MSW. -~
Sources Information Ava i lab I e Why are so many landfills being closed? Landfills are closed when they fail to meet strict regulatory requirements or simply because they are full. Many of the landfills most recently shut down were small, poorly run and inefficient or were actually open dumps closed for environmental reasons. Contrary to popular belief, landfills are designed to minimize and control biodegradation. If they weren t, the uncontrolled biodegradation of such large quantities of waste could create explosive gases and toxic leachate, a threat to our groundwater supplies. 19
8 What are durable goods, and what is their role in the waste stream? Manufactured items with a useful life of more than three years - cars, appliances, computers, etc. - are called durable goods. Although these items may not be a part of everyday household waste, durable goods eventually become part of the solid waste stream. According to the US. Environmental Protection Agency, durable goods make up 23 percent of landfilled municipal waste by volume. e 8 Can plastics from durable goods be recycled? Yes. One primary challenge is collecting post-consumer plastics in quantities of sufficient quality that make recycling cost-effective. The need for disassembly sometimes presents an additional challenge. APC is working with the manufacturers of durable goods to encourage design for recycling. Often, this means designing a product for easy disassembly. APC is participating in an international effort to develop a coding system for the plastic resins used in manufacturing automobiles. These codes will make it easier for scrap dealers to market recovered plastics in single-resin bales, which have greater market value. The Vehicle Recycling Partnership (VRP), a consortium formed by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, has opened a joint research center, the Vehicle Recycling Development Center (VRDC), to develop automotive recycling technology. The VRP has a collaborative agreement with APC to develop technology to recover and recycle plastics from scrapped vehicles bumpers, instrument panels, seats and interior trim. APC, in cooperation with wte Corporation, has a research and development facility in Bedford, hl4, to recycle plastics from durable products. The facility is designed to take plastic items with foreign material contamination, such as metals or fabric coverings, and generate a clean plastic stream. Currently, telephones, vinyl siding, automotive parts, computer housings, refrigerator doors and cabinet liners are being processed. 2
t Sources Information Avai lab le - What specific advantages do plastics bring to durable goods? Manufacturers of durable goods choose plastics for many reasons. Without plastics resistance to corrosion, the product life of some major appliances would be reduced nearly 5 percent. By helping them last longer, plastics keep appliances and other durable goods out of the waste stream. It is estimated that 53 billion kilowatt hours of electricity are saved each year due to the improved energy efficiency that plastics provide major appliances. Auto manufacturers choose plastics for their durability, corrosion resistance, ease of coloring and finishing, resiliency and light weight. 21
~ The American Plastics Council was formed to address public concern about the environmental and performance attributes of plastics. APC provides information about plastics recycling to the general public through its toll-free number (1-8-2-HELP-9) and fulfills requests for publications and other materials. Other APC resources include educational materials and workshops for teachers and technical information for solid waste managers about trucks, balers, collection methods and markets, presented through workshops, manuals and research reports. e e a e A Comparison of Energy Consumption by the Plastics Industry to Total Consumption in the U.S., Franklin Associates, Ltd., 199. Plastic Packaging: Opportunities and Challenges, R.F. Testin, Ph.D. and P. J. Vergano, Sc.D., 1992. Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of Polyethylene and Unbleached Paper Grocery Sacks, Franklin Associates, Ltd., 199. Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of Foam Polystyrene and Bleached Paperboard Containers, Franklin Associates, Ltd., 199. Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of Polyethylene Milk Bottles and Polyethylene-Coated Paperboard Milk Cartons, Franklin Associates, Ltd., 199. Packaging Without Plastics: Ecological and Economic Consequences of a Packaging Market Free From Plastics, The Society for Research into the Packaging Market (Germany), December 1987. Facts and Fkures of the U.S. Plastics Industry, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., 1991. Modern Plastics, January 1992. Plastics and the Environment -Pocket Edition, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., 1991. Plastics: Key Materials for Innovation and Productivity in Major Appliances, Ralph S. Hagan, February 1994. An Energy Study of Plastics and Their Alternatives in Packaging and Disposable Consumer Goods, Franklin Associates, Ltd., 1992, and Philadelphia Electric Company highlights for 1989. Characterization of the Municipal Solid Waste Stream, 1992 Update, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992. -. 22 Comparative Energy Evaluation of Plastic Products and Their Alternatives for the Building and Construction and Transportation Industries, Franklin Associates Ltd., 199.
Case studies for PELASPAN-PAC brand plastic loose fill, Dow Chemical U.S.A. Recycle 93 Sixth Annual Forum, Davos, Switzerland. Correspondence from G.E. Plastics, manufacturer of LEXANB reusable milk bottles, 1993. CD Reuse and Repair of Automotive Plastic Parts, Roy F. Weston, 1993. The Post-Consumer Plastics Recycling Rate Study, R.W. Beck & Associates, May 1994. 1992 Post-Consumer Plastics Collection Survey, R.W. Beck & Associates, March 1993. 1994 Post-Consumer Plastics Handlers and Reclaimers Survey, RW. Beck & Associates, April 1994. uestions and Answers About Conrad Industries and Advanced Plastics Recycling, The American Plastics Council, 1993. Resource Recovery in North America, National Solid Wastes Management Association, 1991. The Environmental Impact of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration, The Coalition on Resource Recovery and the Environment, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1989. Results of the Combustion and Emissions Research Project at the Vicon Incinerator Facility in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Midwest Research Institute, June 1987. The IWSA Municipal Waste Combustion Directory: 1993 Update of U.S. Plants, Jonathan V.L. Kiser, Integrated Waste Services Association, 1994. Council on Plastics and Packaging in the Environment, Waste-to- Energy Incineration fact sheet, 1987. Rubbish, W.L. Rathje, The Atlantic, December 1989. 23
These and other publications are available by calling 1-8-2-HELP-9. Plastics Packaging: Opportunities and Challenges - A brochure explaining why we have so many kinds of packaging and the benefits of each. Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of Foam Polystyrene and Bleached Paperboard Containers - A brochure comparing the energy use, environmental emissions and waste impact of plastic and paperboard containers. Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of Polyethylene and Unbleached Paper Grocery Sacks - A brochure comparing the energy use, environmental emissions and waste impact of plastic and paper bags. Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of Polyethylene Milk Bottles and Polyethylene-Coated Paperboard Milk Cartons - A brochure comparing the energy use, environmental emissions and waste impact of plastic and paperboard milk containers. What Industry is Doing - An informal summary of industry initiatives in recycling and waste reduction. Five Major Myths About Garbage and Why They re Wrong - A reprint of the July 1992 Smithsonian article by William Rathje and Cullen Murphy adapted from their book, Rubbish! The Archaeology of Garbage. Plastics: The Energ;-Effient Choice - A brochure that compares the energy used in producing plastic packaging and common non-plastic alternatives. Recycled Plastic Products Source Book - This reference book helps private and public sector buyers identify products made with recycled plastics. Shop Recycled! - A booklet that helps consumers identify common, widely available products made with or packaged in recycled plastic. 24
Cou nci I A Joint Initiative with The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. 1275 KStreet NW Suite4 Washington, DC 25 *