SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 12, 1:40 p.m. ET) — For the first time, the two major plastic recycling associations in the U.S. will have the same chairman — at least for the next year.
Tom Busard, vice president of global procurement at Plastipak Packaging Inc. and long-time chairman of the National Association for PET Container Resources, was also elected chairman of the National Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers at the APR fall meeting in San Antonio Oct 10-11.
Busard heads Plastipak’s post-consumer recycling business, Clean Tech Inc. He was elected chairman of APR in a second vote taken by the board after an initial vote deadlocked at 5-5, with one abstention, one source told Plastics News.
The ramifications of having the same individual as chairman of the two associations were not immediately clear. The two groups have worked together on a number of matters, but they have not seen eye-to-eye on all issues.
Former APR Chairman Scott Saunders, general manager of KW Recycling, was re-elected to the APR board and elected vice-chairman.
APR also announced that Dave Cornell, who has been the only technical director the association has had since that post was created in November 1994, will be retiring from full-time duties at the end of the year.
John Standish, marketing development manager for packaging for ColorMatrix — which was acquired by PolyOne Corp. in 2011 — will become the new APR technical director Jan. 1.
