SPI, APC break may show CPIA its future
Resin manufacturers continue to resign from the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., taking with them their financial resources and know-how. The American Plastics Council has become a ``full-service'' organization, while SPI has reorganized in an effort to stabilize membership and revenues.
While suppliers and customers, all being fellow competitors, can sit at the same table, it always has been impracticable to further common interests when suppliers hold the purse strings.
How the Canadian Plastics Industry Association — the Canadian experiment to merge its [versions of] SPI and APC — will weather the storm engulfing its parents is yet to be seen. Can CPIA, with its regional structure and reorganization, speak with one voice for all parties on issues such as the environment and training? Or is it more practical for the two associations to separate in a friendly fashion, and serve their own masters, as separate entities? This is how the associations work in Europe.
Having once worked in the plastics industry, and been associated with these organizations prior to my retirement, I'm curious to see how they'll evolve.
Frank Moos
Burlington, Ontario
Greenpeace mission against PVC flawed
Finding an economical equivalent to flexible PVC has been a long and elusive quest. If enough money is spent scrutinizing any polymer, I'm sure that some concerns will rise. Despite Greenpeace's disdain for PVC, they still find inflatable PVC boats invaluable in their sometimes perilous ``missions.'' I rest my case.
Joe DuPont
Thermoplastic Processes Inc.
Warren, N.J
PET bottle criticism miffs Ohio students
This letter is in response to the Page 3 story ``L.A. lambastes Miller's PET beer bottle,'' which appeared Feb. 8.
We are students in the plastics engineering technology program at Shawnee State University, and we disagree with the Los Angeles council on criticizing the idea of plastic beer bottles.
They stated that ``plastics are more easily thrown out on the road.'' Can you please state the facts supporting this statement? Did Los Angeles have the same problem when soda bottles were changed to plastic?
The use of plastic in all types of bottles would help reduce the destruction of road signs and violence in bars, and would make the cleanup of streets and highways easier.
Through the knowledge we have gained of plastics technology, we do not feel their basis for this assumption is justified.
Eric Ellis, Michelle Roese
and 12 other students at Shawnee State University
Portsmouth, Ohio