Adhesives' Role in Recycle Friendly Plastic Containers, 1991 Forest Products Symposium Proceedings

The recycling of plastics promises to be a growing and sustainable industry, with the potential to produce large quantities of raw material from which high-value end-use goods can be produced.

The value of plastic raw material depends upon three key factors: consistent availability and quality, timely development of polymer modification technologies; and creation of value-added end uses and fabricated products.

Those elements, in turn, require an integrated waste management system that links up all components of the

recycling network, from collection to end-use markets.

The Du Pont Company and Waste Management, Inc., formed a joint venture in 1989 that is providing an integrated approach to recycling plastics from the consumer waste stream.

This partnership underscores the commitment and leadership of Du Pont and Waste Management to recycling, which we believe will play a major role in helping to solve the municipal solid waste dilemma.

Recycling reduces landfill needs, conserves natural resources and provides a supply of high-value polymers. It also makes good business sense. The plastics removed from the municipal waste stream through our venture is giving an important new life to a valuable material which otherwise would have been disposed of.

Initially, we have focused on PET soft drink bottles and HDPE containers such as milk, juice and water jugs, and

laundry detergent bottles.

The most commonly used forms of rigid plastic packaging, PET and HDPE currently make up more than 80 percent of all plastic bottles.

Fueled by the belief that plastics reclamation is an emerging growth industry worldwide, Du Pont and WMI are confident that the venture will offer long-term economic as well as environmental benefits.

My presentation today will describe the joint venture, which is called the Plastic Recycling Alliance. In addition, I will discuss some package design changes that will help facilitate the recycling of plastic containers.