Dear reader, don't skip these letters

Plastics News subscribers who just read the news stories might miss some important content today -- so I'll take some space to cover the highlights: First, we have a letter from Bill Carteaux, Steve Russell and Carol Hochu -- the leaders of three major North American plastics trade groups -- on the hot issue of plastics recycling. The letter, "Single-resin focus undercuts recycling efforts," is a response to an Aug. 17 column by Dennis Sabourin of NAPCOR, "In recycling, numbers matter." I won't repeat all of their points here -- after all, that's why I'm linking to their letter. But it's important to see their points about the progress that the industry is experiencing in recycling all types of post-consumer plastics. And, more importantly, they're urging the industry not to pit one plastic resin against others. My opinion is that NAPCOR isn't engaging in competitive materials bashing. But I've been around long enough to know that bashing happens in the plastics industry -- and far too often. So it's a good for SPI, ACC and CPIA to reinforce the message, and point to the progress that other resins are making toward matching the recycling record that PET has achieved. Second, I really enjoyed the letter from Michael Brown, managing director of Packaging 2.0 Inc. in Jamestown, R.I., who wrote about his recent experience on a three-week research expedition to the western edge of the North Pacific gyre. Brown wrote in response to another Plastics News column too (Is this a trend? If so, I like it). In this case, it was the the column by Chandler Slavin of Dordan Manufacturing Co., "Plastics' foes wage campaign on social media battleground." Brown's letter, "Don't dismiss marine debris," tells how he met Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins of the 5 Gyres Institute in 2007 at a Sustainable Packaging Coalition, where he learned about the plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Can you imagine, a plastics industry executive participating in a voyage aimed at studying plastic waste in the Garbage Patch? My hat is off to Brown. It's really encouraging to see engaged executives like him -- and Slavin -- in the plastics industry. Finally, let me point out a column by one of our own, Plastics News senior reporter Bill Bregar, who editorializes this week about the rotational molding sector. The column, "Rotomolding growth outpacing economy," will accompany our special report and ranking in the Aug. 27 print edition. Watch for the full report next week on PlasticsNews.com.