My Knowledge

Published October 13, 2008

You can't afford to be left out of the sustainability loop - Register for the Sustain ’08: Plastics Business Summit... In these difficult economic times, you know as a plastics executive that our industry faces its own unique challenges in a go-green culture. Join executives from across the supply chain at Sustain ’08, the first conference designed to address the role of sustainability in the plastics industry. Participate in sessions led by experts in both sustainable business practices and the plastics industry. Keynote speaker Andrew Winston, co-author of the best-selling guide Green to Gold, kicks off the conference with what works - and what doesn't - when companies go green. Closing keynote speaker Hal Snyder offers an industry perspective from his 28 years at DuPont where he oversees and implements sustainability initiatives. Register for Sustain ’08 by October 17 and attend the optional Energy-Management Workshop at no extra cost. In addition, SPI members save $200 on the regular registration fee. Register online and get full program details on Sustain ’08 here.

Business


myPlasticsindustry.comFord Expands Use Of Biomaterials In Production To Reduce Need For Foreign Oil

Deep inside the laboratories of Ford Motor Co.'s research and innovation center, one lab feels a lot more like a witch's pantry than a place for developing the green cars and trucks of the future. One corner is cluttered with coconuts, hemp twine, switchgrass, wheat straw, wood pellets, and oils made from grape seeds, palm trees and soybeans. The work that goes on in this Dearborn lab - replacing petroleum-based car parts with natural, renewable ones - isn't exactly what most Americans think about when considering environmentally friendly cars. ...Detroit Free Press, 10.10.08
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myPlasticsindustry.comPlastics Industry Struggles In Erie, PA

"Plastics" is more than a memorable line from the classic 1967 movie "The Graduate". For decades, it has been a cornerstone industry in northwestern Pennsylvania. Dozens of local companies have been built on the injection molding process that employed thousands and fueled the development of a leading plastics engineering program at Penn State Behrend. There are signs now, however, including the recent bankruptcy and pending sale of Corry-based Erie Plastics, of an industry that's struggling. ...Erie Times-News, 10.9.08
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myPlasticsindustry.comSolar Power Firm Makes "Power Plastic" At Old Polaroid Plant

A company that manufactures a thin-film solar material cut ribbon Tuesday to mark its move into the former Polaroid building in the New Bedford Business Park as state and local officials touted the potential for solar energy, manufacturing and jobs in the city. Konarka makes Power Plastic, a thin plastic film with layers that absorb light, transform it into electricity and send the electricity to a battery or other device. The New Bedford facility will be the company's first full-scale manufacturing plant and marks its transition from being primarily a research operation to a manufacturing company. ...New Bedford Standard Times, 10.8.08
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SPI launches all-new, content-rich and secure Web platform... Have you noticed the bold, new look of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) SPI’s Web site at www.plasticsindustry.org? SPI has launched an all-new, secure and content-rich Web platform that meets the specific needs of its variety of members, the global plastics industry, consumers and journalists. Featuring advanced site search ability, more streaming video, user-friendly navigation and cutting-edge technology that brings customized content to users based on their interests, SPI’s new Web environment replaces a predecessor that was created more than a decade ago. Check it out at www.plasticsindustry.org.

General News


myPlasticsindustry.comVancouver Forum Discusses Merits Of Bag-Tax

Let the record show: the City of Vancouver is not officially considering requiring grocery shoppers to pay a tax of 20 cents or so on each disposable grocery bag they use. "We have no proposal," Public Works Director Brian Carlson volunteered, a broad smile fixed on his face. "We're not thinking about any proposal." "There has been no discussion on the council on the record at all," City Councilmember Jeanne Stewart added. Still, the merits of such a tax - or would it be a fee? - were the topic of a two-hour debate among seven out-of-town experts in a well-promoted panel discussion in the city council chambers Tuesday afternoon. ...The Columbian, 10.8.08
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myPlasticsindustry.comSPI Applauds Decision To Lift Ban On Offshore Energy Production

The Congressional Outer Continental Shelf Moratorium, first enacted in 1982 and extended annually ever since, expired yesterday when Congress passed a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government funded after October 1, the start of the FY09 fiscal year. The removal of the ban will allow the Mineral Management Service to conduct oil and natural gas exploration up to three miles off of the coast of the United States. William R. Carteaux, president and CEO of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI), issued the following statement concerning the moratorium’s expiration. ...SPI, 10.2.08
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New Technology


myPlasticsindustry.comPint-Size Eco-Police, Making Parents Proud And Sometimes Crazy

Sometimes, Jennifer Ross feels she cannot make a move at home without inviting the scorn of her daughters, 10-year-old Grace and 7-year-old Eliza. The Acura MDX she drives? A flagrant polluter. The bath at night to help her relax? A wasteful indulgence. The reusable shopping bags she forgot, again? Tsk, tsk. Ms. Ross’s children are part of what experts say is a growing army of "eco-kids" - steeped in environmentalism at school, in houses of worship, through scouting and even via popular culture - who try to hold their parents accountable at home. ...New York Times, 10.10.08
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SPI enters the blogosphere with "In the Hopper: The SPI Business Blog"... The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) recently launched In the Hopper: SPI’s Business Blog. Another way to communicate with members, industry professionals, consumers and stakeholders, the blog will cover a variety of topics - from public policy issues and SPI initiatives to interesting and beneficial uses of plastics. Blog contributors will include SPI President Bill Carteaux and senior staff. Feel free to add your two cents in the comment areas that are beneath each posting.