Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 20, 1991 TAG: 9104200121
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Industry spokesmen say they already have gotten the message and are making packages with materials that are reusable, recyclable, less wasteful or safer for the environment.
About two-thirds of people polled said they have bought such items in the past year. Only one in 10 wouldn't prefer such packaging if they had a choice. Excluding those people, 39 percent of the rest say they would choose the less wasteful package even if it cost 10 percent more.
The telephone survey of 1,001 adults was taken last Friday through Tuesday by ICR Survey Research Group of Media, Pa. Results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The poll found a majority of people say they recycle: 58 percent say they recycle cans regularly, but that drops off to 42 percent for newspapers and 36 percent for bottles.
An additional one in seven said they recycle each item occasionally. That leaves the population of hard-core non-recyclers at 50 percent for bottles, 43 percent for newspapers and 25 percent for cans.
About 70 percent said their community does not require any sort of effort to separate and recycle items such as cans and newspapers. Of those people, six of seven said they would support such a requirement.
"That shows pretty impressive support - really demand from citizens that they get recycling services," said John Ruston, economic analyst for the Environmental Defense Fund in New York City.
But the finding means only that people support a recycling requirement in principle. Whether they would cooperate with a specific plan that requires them to sort their garbage and haul bundles to curbside is another matter.
Recycling is a "symbolic focus of a broad range of environmental concerns," Ruston said.
The packaging issue also has taken center stage with the reduction of plastic in containers for such varied things as fast-food burgers and fabric softener.
Edward Stana, executive director of the Council on Plastic and Packaging in the Environment, said the companies in his industry coalition have been listening to environmentalists and have made changes consumers might not notice.
Packages have grown more elaborate over the years to prevent theft and convey information that sales people used to provide, Stana said.
"The old friendly hardware man who knew everything there is to know about Molly bolts" has been replaced by packages that enshroud and identify each kind of nut and bolt.
Although using recycled materials to make such packages can cost a premium, making less wasteful packaging is not necessarily more expensive in the long run, said Ron Lamb, communications coordinator for the industry coalition.
Noting that companies spend millions of dollars to win small gains in their market share, Ruston suggested they might be willing to absorb costs of converting to less wasteful packaging if it appeals to a large group of consumers.
"I think a third of the population is really significant," he said.
by CNB