JEFFERSON SMURFIT RECEIVES AWARD
For the second consecutive year, Jefferson Smurfit Corp.’s Los Angeles paperboard mill has been named a winner in the Waste Reduction Awards Program sponsored by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, Sacramento, Calif. The program is designed to recognize California businesses that reduce waste at their sites and divert it from landfills.
The JSC mill was recognized for recycling white paper mixed paper, newspaper and old corrugated containers into new products, as well as for various in-house waste reduction efforts.
KW LAUNCHES NEW HDPE RECYCLING LINE
KW Plastics’ Recycling Division in Troy, Ala., has installed a new HDPE processing line designed to process 150 pounds of material annually. This hike in capacity is expected to boost the company’s total annual output to 225 million pounds.
KW processes all types of HDPE scrap from both blow molding and injection grade applications. KW can also provide tolling services for HDPE scrap.
CONSUMERS LEARNING BAG RECYCLING RULES
A recent survey conducted by the Plastic Bag Association found that consumers are catching on to the do’s and don’t’s of plastic bag recycling. PBA’s survey of its nationwide, 200-member Consumer Advisory Board indicated that:
*70 percent of the respondents recycle their plastic bags regularly,
*50 percent or more are aware that self-serve produce bags, dry-cleaning bags and newspaper-delivery bags can be recycled with plastic grocery bags,
*92 percent recognize snack food packages as incompatible with the plastic bag recycling process.
The survey was designed to measure consumers’ knowledge of clean stream recycling practices that minimize contamination in plastic bag recycling programs. Although he applauds the growth in consumer understanding, Ron Schmeider, president of PBA, says more education is needed to reduce plastic bag recycling contamination, which stems in part from such misperceptions as:
*Nearly half the survey respondents believe that paper shopping receipts don’t contaminate the plastic bag recycling process,
*52 percent believe they can recycle plastic food wrap with their plastic bags, and
*33 percent think that contamination is minimized by recycling all types of plastic bags together.
Respondents were selected from a database of callers to the Plastic Bag Information Clearinghouse’s toll-free hotline, which provides information to consumers about plastic bags and the environment. The 200 respondents will complete up to four surveys as part of their participation in PBA’s Consumer Advisory Board.
PACKING GROUP OPENS INFO-LINE
The Corrugated Packaging Council has launched a 24-hour, toll-free information hotline, the number for which is (800)-879-9777, the Council reports.
The info-line is aimed at providing information to consumers who wish to recycle corrugated boxes, recycling coordinators who may want to add corrugated to their existing recycling programs, retailers wanting to start or improve corrugated recycling operations, and packaging designers seeking new ideas for recycling various types of packaging.
Operators will provide facts about corrugated recycling and performance, and will be able to identify end-markets and recycling facilities accepting corrugated material nationwide.
Consumer brochures, fact sheets and personal follow ups are all part of the custom response mechanisms offered through the info-line.
The info-line number and "Corrugated Recycles" logo will be printed on boxes and other corrugated products, at the discretion of box manufacturers and their customers, to promote the info line.
ONLY FOUR STATES MATCH FEDERAL ONLY FOUR STATES
MATCH FEDERAL
Despite all the publicity, only four states have developed standards as stringent as President Clinton’s Executive Order on Recycling, although 14 states have partly adopted the Executive Order, according to a new reference guide from Raymond Communications Inc., Riverdale, Md.
Purchasing Preferences for Recycled Products: A Reference Guide to Laws & Ordinances catalogues more than 200 purchasing preference laws in the 50 states, including 171 local governments. While all 50 state have a policy on buying recycled products, 33 states have price preferences and 23 have set-asides.
The 100-page reference is available from Raymond Communications, 6429 Auburn Ave., Riverdale, Md. 20737-1614.
NEW PROCESS RECYCLES FLOOR COVERINGS
Collins & Aikman Floorcoverings, Dalton, Ga., his introduced its "Infinity Initiative," a recycling process designed to turn used floor coverings -- including vinyl-backed carpet and carpet tile -- into a variety of consumer products ranging from parking stops to industrial flooring.
The process chops and granulates reclaimed floor coverings and manufacturing wastes, then mixes the resulting material with post-consumer and post-industrial plastics. The material is melted and mixed in an extruder, and then passed into the forming line, where it is extruded through the product mode. The product is cured by surrounding the mold with chilled water. The finished product is automatically cut to length and quality checked.
The process can recycle more than 75 million pounds of floor coverings annually, resulting in products designed for increased strength, durability and extended life. Infinity Initiative products are resistant to water damage, making them an attractive option for outdoor parking stops and industrial flooring.
Car parking stops created by the Infinity Initiative are currently in use at various sites across the country. Other products, such as industrial flooring, highway soundwall barriers and marine bulkheads are currently in the testing stages. Collins & Aikman has arranged partnerships with major corporations and has reclaimed large quantities of used vinyl-backed carpet as feedstock for the Infinity Initiative recycling process. The Tennessee Valley Authority, Jefferson County Schools in Colorado and Kent County Schools in Washington State are some of the early participants in the program.
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