Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 29, 1991 TAG: 9103290122
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short
Environmental groups have been critical of the plastics industry for lagging in recycling. Nearly two-thirds of all aluminum beverage cans, for example, are now recycled in the United States.
"Our industry has stepped up and accepted the commitment to make this thing go," Ed Woolard, chairman of Du Pont Co., told a news conference. "It will definitely change the way the plastics industry does business."
The plan offered by the Council for Solid Waste Solutions, whose members are plastics producers and users, aims at recycling 18 billion plastic bottles and containers a year by 1995. That would be one-fourth of the estimated total.
It also calls for boosting the number of community curbside plastic recycling programs to 4,000 by 1994, said Woolard. There are now about 500 such programs.
The Environmental Defense Fund issued a statement applauding the council's goals, but said more should be done to reduce the amount of plastic being produced and to make sure plastics recycling covers its costs for municipalities that get involved.
"The economics is really a key issue," said Jackie Prince of EDF. "It is a real problem to collect and transport plastic economically."
by CNB