APBA Presentation to The Thurston County Solid Waste Advisory Committee Mark Daniels Presenting on behalf of APBA Thursday, August 9, 2012 Thursday August 9, 2012 1
In this presentation About APBA Facts About Plastic Bags Plastic Bags Benefits Unintended Consequences of Bans & Taxes How plastic bag and film recycling works 2
Who is APBA? Founded in 2005, the American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA) is a group of American plastic bag manufacturers that represent a thriving and growing industry employing 30,800 American workers. APBA s current areas of focus include: Increasing recycling opportunities Litter prevention Increasing bag reuse City proposals that could impact consumer use of plastic bags Correcting misperceptions concerning litter and waste 3
The facts about plastic bags MYTH Reusable bags are the better option for the environment Reusable bags provide a safe way to bring home your groceries Plastic bags feed America s addiction to oil Recycling doesn t work Jobs are safe FACT Reusable bags cannot be recycled and cloth bags need to be used nearly 200 times to be a greener option than a plastic bag 1 Reusable bags have been found to harbor dangerous bacteria. Bacteria multiplies when bags are kept in cars 2 Plastic bags in the U.S. are made of natural gas, not foreign oil 3 Plastic bag recycling increased 24% over the past year. 900 million pounds of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled in 2010 4 Tens of thousands of Americans are employed by the industry and their jobs will be put in harm s way with anti-bag legislation 5 1 U.K. Environmental Agency. Life Cycle Assessment of Supermarket Carrier Bags. February 2011 2 Assessment of the Potential for Cross Contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags; Charles Gerba; University of Arizona; June 9, 2010 3 Analysis by Chemical Market Associates, Inc.; February, 2011. 4 Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2009 Facts and Figures; and 2010 Facts and Figures; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 5 http://www.plasticsindustry.org/apba/ 4
Plastic bags have a lower environmental footprint than alternatives and are 100% recyclable
Plastic shopping bags are more convenient, economical, and are a better environmental choice than the alternatives Plastic bags are 100 percent recyclable, safe and in the U.S. are made from natural gas not foreign oil 1 They have a smaller footprint than other bag options 2 There s no such thing as a single-use plastic bag Plastic bags live a second life when used to create building materials 1 Analysis by Chemical Market Associates, Inc.; February, 2011. 2 ABC News: Paper or Plastic? Just the Facts. 1/7/2006. http://abcnews.go.com/technology/story?id=97476&page=1
Industry Leading Recycling Operation
How Plastic Bags Get Recycled
Summary Description of Bag-2-Bag Reverse Logistics Hilex recovers post-consumer material from its customers central consolidation facilities. Material from retail locations are backhauled to the retailer s warehouse whereupon the plastic is baled. Processing Having invested $25MM in the state-of-the-art recycling facility, Hilex reprocesses the post-consumer material with a series of sorting, washing, flaking, and pelletizing equipment. The renewed raw material is then distributed to the company s manufacturing plants for introduction into new bags. Completing the Loop New bags are manufactured with the material at any one of Hilex plants and sold back to customers at no extra cost through their normal distribution channels. Depending on customer graphic design and branding preferences, the Bag-2-Bag logo is printed on the product.
Innovation In Process: Gray Bag Higher recycled content from 15% to 30% and more as additional material can be diverted. Gray film allows for higher recycled content theoretically 100% Redesigned handle geometry delivers more strength from less material New Recycling Message explaining how bag is made from PE resin products diverted from waste stream Made in U.S.A. Natural gas is the main raw material - not Crude oil EPA WasteWise and Bag 2 Bag logos are a call-to-action Strictly Confidential 10
The Unintended Consequences of Bag Bans & Taxes Threaten the jobs of hard working Americans 1 In Washington more than 1,000 people work in the plastic bag manufacturing, recycling & distribution industry Increase the financial burden on consumers 1,000+ Jobs 3 Do not protect the environment Hurt successful recycling efforts Do not address litter problems 2 1 http://www.plasticsindustry.org/apba/ 2 Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2009 Facts and Figures; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; p. 53 3 Manufacturing, distributing and recycling jobs throughout the state, based on January 2012 survey of businesses
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