MUNICIPALITIES BAN PLASTICS 

IN THE CLASSIC 1967 MOVIE PICTURE "THE GRADUATE", ONE SCENE SHOWS THE FATHER/BUSINESS FIGURE PUTTING HIS ARM AROUND THE SHOULDER OF THE YOUNGER MAN AND TELLING HIM "SON, THE FUTURE'S IN PLASTICS". WAS HE EVER RIGHT.

TWO DECADES LATER, A MOVE HAS BEEN MADE THAT WILL, CAUSE A MASSIVE SHAKE-UP IN THE EXECUTIVE RANKS OF THAT, NOW HUGE WORLD-WIDE INDUSTRY.

PRESSURE HAS BEEN BUILDING-UP FOR SOME TIME, AT VARIOUS LEVELS, OVER THE INCREASING DEGRADATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT BY DISCARDED PLASTICS. A RECENT STUDY BY BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS, A CONNECTICUT RESEARCH FIRM, SAYS PLASTICS RECYCLING MAY BE A MAJOR INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT 15 YEARS, BECAUSE 96 PERCENT OF ALL PLASTICS PACKAGING SCRAP CURRENTLY ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS. AND, MUCH OF IT WILL NOT BIODEGRADE FOR 500 YEARS !!

THE AMOUNT IS STAGGERING AND ONLY ONE PERCENT IS CURRENTLY RECYCLED, SO SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE. THIS RESEARCH COMPANY FEELS RECYCLING COULD GROW TO 42.5 PERCENT BY THE YEAR 2002.

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK IS A WELL-TO-DO, INNOVATIVE AREA ON LONG ISLAND, JUST OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY: THEY WERE AMONG LEADERS TO BAN SMOKING IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND THE FIRST TO INSTIGATE BOTTLE RECYCLING IN NEW YORK STATE. THEY HAVE A DARING, POSITIVE AND INNOVATIVE COUNTY EXECUTIVE NAMED PATRICK G. HALPIN WHO KNOWS PLENTY ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS. HE HAS NOW BANNED THE SALE BY FOOD ESTABLISH- MENTS OF CERTAIN NON-BIODEGRADEABLE PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND EATING UTENSILS FROM THEIR COUNTY -- THE FIRST SUCH MOVE BY A POLITICAL DISTRICT ANYWHERE ON EARTH!

FACED WITH THE HIGHEST WASTE-PER-CAPITA RATIO ON THE PLANET, SUFFOLK COUNTY HAD A MAJOR LANDFILL PROBLEM EARLIER THAN MOST MUNICIPALITIES. THEY HAD TO MAKE A DECISION MANY OTHER DISTRICTS FACE BUT HAVE NOT SATISFACTORILY TACKLED. NOW OTHERS HAVE PRECEDENT.

HALPIN AND LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE STEVEN ENGLEBRIGHT, WHO SPONSORED THE MOVE, SAID "WE HAVE TWO MAIN GOALS: SIMPLIFYING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT BY PREVENTING SOME NON-BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS FROM COMING INTO OUR LANDFILLS AND SENDING A CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS MESSAGE TO THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY THAT THE TIME IS NOW TO BEGIN AN AGGRESSIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE RECYCLING PROGRAM".

PLACED UNDER THEIR SANITARY CODE EACH VIOLATION IS ASSESSED WITH A $500 CIVIL FINE. IT WAS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY BUT DOES NOT APPLY TO RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS UNTIL JULY 1, 1989. THE COUNTY HAS ALSO MANDATED THE CLOSING OF ALL LANDFILL SITES BY 1990!

FLORIDA TOO, IS TAKING STEPS AGAINST PLASTIC POLLUTION. STARTING NEXT YEAR A $1 CHARGE ON ALL NEW TIRES SOLD WILL GO INTO A RECYCLING FUND. PLASTIC BAGS AND PRODUCT CONTAINERS PURCHASED BY ANY OF THE 12 MILLION RESIDENTS OR THOSE OTHER MILLIONS OF TOURISTS WILL BE SUBJECT TO STRINGENT RECYCLING RULES IN FOUR YEARS. THE LAW CALLS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO CUT THE AMOUNT OF TRASH THEY DUMP BY 30 PERCENT DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 1992 A ONE-CENT FEE WILL BE LEVIED ON ALL CONTAINERS SOLD AT THE RETAIL COUNTER, IF THE RECYCLING RATE DOES NOT REACH THE 50 PERCENT LEVEL BY THAT TIME. IF SUCH RECYCLING ISN'T EFFECTIVE THEN IT JUMPS TO TWO PERCENT BY 1995. THE FIRST STEP STARTING JANUARY 1, 1990, MAKES PLASTIC BAGS THAT DO NOT DEGRADE WITHIN 120 DAYS ILLEGAL.

THE FLORIDIANS ARE NOT ALONE. IN BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, CITIZENS VOTED TO RECYCLE ALL GARBAGE. ACTING ON THAT MANDATE THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE BANNING ALL TAKE-OUT CONTAINERS MADE WITH CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFC'S). EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 1988. BERKELEY ALSO HAS A VOLUNTARY 50 PERCENT BAN ON NON-BIODEGRADEABLE PACKAGING THAT BECOMES MANDATORY BY JAN. 1, 1990. THIS WILL INCLUDE ALL FOAM PACKAGING EVEN THAT NOT CONTAINING CFC'S.

IN RHODE ISLAND, THE SMALLEST OF AMERICAN STATES, THE STATE ASSEMBLY HAS BANNED ALL PRODUCTS CONTAINING CFC-11 AND CFC-12 SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS FORMS OF CFC'S. NOT ONLY FOOD PACKAGING IS AFFECTED. SO ALSO IS AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION COOLANTS AND PADDED CAR PARTS.

PERHAPS YOUR TOWN COUNCIL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS STORY? SOONER OR LATER, THEY ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO TAKE SIMILAR ACTION OR BE REPLACED IN THE NEXT ELECTION. MORE INFORMATION: PATRICK G. HALPIN, SUFFOLK COUNTY EXECUTIVE, H. LEE DENNISON BLDG., VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY, HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK 11788.

TEL: (516) 360-4000.

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