Resolutions are very popular on Jan. 1 of each year, but within just a few weeks, most of them have fallen by the wayside.
Richard Batts from the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University writes that researchers found only 9 percent of Americans that make resolutions manage to stick with them. A resolution made only for the sake of tradition, he writes, lacks the motivation needed to get past obstacles that will occur.
That's why Plastics News' annual list of industry priorities is about more than a wishlist for individual company improvements. These priorities are what is required for the industry to survive and thrive. They are the foundation for our weekly opinion columns and they also offer a blueprint for a prosperous and sustainable plastics industry.
Ideally, individuals, companies and organizations will do more than just hit these minimum standards and instead build upon them to improve conditions for employees, customers, shareholders and — for environmental efforts — the world as a whole. Seeing your workers complete every shift and go home unscathed should be just the base that companies build upon for a healthy and satisfied workforce. Stopping resin pellets from spilling into the environment is just one step toward environmental attention, not the final goal.
With that in mind, here is PN's editorial agenda:
• Safety must be every company's top priority. That includes keeping workers safe and making products that consumers can use with confidence.
• Consumers, regulators and legislators have a responsibility to deal with plastics-related issues without bias. Bans and taxes that encourage replacing plastic products with less sustainable alternative materials must be discouraged.
• Fairness and honesty should be key parts of business relationships. Would your mother be proud of the way you do business? If not, then you'd better reevaluate your efforts.
• Sustainability is a priority. Companies should consider sustainability when making decisions about resource utilization, including material selection and energy use. Profitability and sustainability are not mutually exclusive concepts; true sustainability will result in long-term health for the plastics industry.
• The industry needs to do more to encourage recycling. Americans, with the encouragement of the industry, have become too comfortable in their habit of throwing away used plastics. Now that bad habit has gone global. When possible, plastics should be reused or recycled instead of thrown away or littered.
• The industry should support state and national bottle bills since deposit programs have proved effective in collecting a clean, valuable recycling stream. The industry should support extended producer responsibility when it has a positive role in making plastics a more sustainable part of the circular economy.
• Companies and their leaders should take an active role in their communities and in trade groups. Local officials need to be aware of the plastics industry's size and importance so they know that plastics are a significant employer and contributor to the local, national and global economies.
• The industry should speak with a unified voice. This requires cooperation at all levels of the leading trade associations, as well as international and regional groups and with business, consumer and environmental organizations.
• The free market is the best mechanism for raising the standard of living, encouraging democracy and rewarding hard work. Free trade encourages efficiency and inspires stability around the world. Government tax policies should motivate entrepreneurs and investors, help industry compete globally and strive for fairness.
• All sectors of the plastics industry must recruit and retain talented workers. That means paying a fair wage and offering attractive benefits. Having a well-trained and flexible workforce is a competitive advantage, so employers should support education and training. Employers also should embrace diversity in their workforces, including opportunities for women.
• For too long, plastics have suffered from an image problem. The industry must work to credibly combat misinformation. That doesn't mean dismissing legitimate issues or automatically assuming that any criticism of plastics is wrong. But it does mean highlighting the benefits of plastics and working to make plastics safe and sustainable.
Rhoda Miel is the managing editor of Plastics News. Follow her on Twitter @PNRhodaMiel.