Three major plastics trade associations have formed a collaboration to promote adoption of the
material and increase use of energy recovery in manufacture, among other aims.
The Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association and SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association will broaden their collaboration on key industry priorities through the newly formed North American Plastics Alliance (NAPA).
The initial priorities for the alliance will be:
* Energy Recovery: Promotion and facilitation of energy recovery and conversion of used plastics to complement recycling
* Plastics Favorability: Increasing the favorability of plastics with key stakeholders
* Advocacy: Targeted advocacy with policy makers to support the growth of the plastics industry
* Pellet Containment: Extension of Operation Clean Sweep, which aims to prevent resin pellets from entering the waste stream and oceans, where they can be eaten by wildlife.
A Steering Team with member and staff representatives from each association will direct the collaborative programs and initiatives of the alliance. It will be led by SPI president and CEO Bill Carteaux; Steve Russell, vice president of plastics at the American Chemistry Council; and Greg Wilkinson, interim president and CEO at the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.
“Companies throughout the plastics value chain face common challenges, and by working together to demonstrate the collective value of our industry in terms of jobs, local economics and product innovation, we will be able to advocate and communicate much more effectively,” Russell said. “We are already working closely with SPI and CPIA on a number of fronts; this North American Alliance is a way to deliver greater value to our stakeholders.”
In other plastics news, Minneapolis-based Bepex International has signed an agreement with Vietnam-based Thanh Tai Gas Company to custom design, fabricate and deliver a line of plastic bottle recycling systems, called BePET. The FDA-approved system will allow Thanh Tai to recycle up to 1.5 billion plastic bottles made of PET per year, the companies say.
The first line of the system for Thanh Tai is due to be installed and fully operational by January 2012, after which a second parallel line will be installed to expand capacity to produce different plastic for a variety of applications, especially for the food packing industry.
Source : www.environmentalleader.com
