Viewpoints
Steinwall Inc., the latest
Plastics News Processor of the Year, has earned a reputation as a progressive, people-oriented custom injection molder. Owner Maureen Steinwall is a big reason why.
The plastic bag industry has taken a number of initiatives to be good environment stewards. However, they are unlikely to stop the number of plastic bag bans in the U.S. — now at 40 — from increasing, because they don’t deal with the problems plastic bags create from a community and environmental standpoint.
Bringing It All Back Home is the name of a classic album released by Bob Dylan in 1965. I’m guessing that’s a title Alan Tonelson can relate to as he battles on behalf of U.S. manufacturers.
In the materials sector, 2011 could not end soon enough for most U.S.-based public companies. A look at 15 public firms with sizable plastic materials businesses shows only one that had a higher per-share stock price on Dec. 20 than it did on Jan. 1.
With the start of a new year,
Plastics News restates its editorial agenda. The plastics industry has made important progress in many of these areas in the past decade, and we applaud the efforts.
2011 may be remembered for extreme volatility in polypropylene pricing, or the year a guy named Jon Huntsman ran for president. Or it may just be remembered for Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian’s wedding — and split. With that much going for it ... a real highlight has to be the Plastic Globe awards, our annual tongue-in-cheek salute to plastics industry newsmakers.
Should visitors to Grand Canyon National Park be able to buy bottled water on-site? On one hand, there’s the scenic vista. No one wants to see that spoiled by trash. But visitors to the park’s Inner Gorge experience desert conditions. They need to stay hydrated, and many 21st century hikers don’t tend to bring their own canteens.
When I see burger chains advertise that they use 100 percent American beef, I roll my eyes. What’s wrong with Canadian beef? It’s not like anyone’s shipping ground beef from China, right? But now I wonder if the whole “buy American” thing is starting to go too far.
The plastics industry is not an obstacle to recycling. But despite all the effort many have put into recycling, that’s not universally understood outside the industry.
It’s time for the plastics industry to lobby hard to extend the 100 percent accelerated depreciation for capital purchases, set to run out Dec. 31. That’s set to decrease to 50 percent depreciation for equipment put in place in 2012. Keeping the full 100 percent, first-year expensing would keep the ball rolling — encouraging manufacturers to keep upgrading.
There’s no shortage of great ideas for saving weight in vehicles using plastics. So what’s holding the industry back?
Is Europe on the verge of a financial meltdown that could break up the euro? Or is the industrial economy running flat out, especially in Germany? Those questions spell out the major disconnect that permeated the Fakuma trade show in Germany last month: The booming business of plastics machinery makers is in direct contrast to the dire headlines in the popular press.
For 27 years, experts have been citing this statistic: Plastic debris kills 100,000 marine animals a year. And it turns out that no one really knows whether the number was ever accurate.
By now, you’ve heard the chicken-and-egg dilemma: Businesses won’t hire until demand picks up. But there won’t be demand until more business creates more jobs. But here’s a message from America’s industrial heartland: Manufacturing jobs are available. All too often, what’s lacking is people with the right skills — and attitude.
Let’s say you’re on the city council of a coastal community where many residents are concerned about marine debris. Some of your constituents want to ban single-use plastic bags. But if you pass a ban without first doing an expensive study on the environmental impact of the decision, you’ll face a lawsuit — and the prospect of an expensive legal battle.
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