Document kD45MqN1pVm43yjJeEMVwj7Yy

Council Programs Target Consumers, Schools Earth Day 1990: How Will Plastics Fare? H_ Patrick Toner Accepts ISO Chairmanship SPI Spotlight: International Division Shippers Reap Big Dividends From ICC Decisions RECEIVED N\JV 3 DR.A.T. .C'^1 L BOR 007286 Views From th C rn r Office When the international plastics community gets together in early November in Dusseldorf, West Germany, at the largest industry expo sition in the world -- K'89, the 11th International Trade Fair - Plastics and Rubber--the United States and SPI will be represented in a variety of ways. In addition to our SPI booth touting NPE '91, I'll be speaking at the opening of the U.S. Pavilion on a subject that's getting a great deal of attention: the environment The speech to a news conference of interna tional journalists focuses on the need for unity in the global plastics industry when dealing with environmental issues, and on the fact that we in the United States and our counterparts in Europe have much to learn from each other in dealing with these problems. I am advocating more communication between Americans and Euro peans wrestling with environmental issues. As SPI president, I am privi leged to be a member of the International Plastics Associa tion Directors, or IPAD, which meets in Dusseldorf during the K'89 show. And while I'm a new IPAD member, I am going to do everything I can to enhance efforts already underway to improve communication among our respec tive countries. Several articles in this President's Report deal with international issues. The observance of Earth Day 1990 is likely to have an impact on our industry (page four). This event 20 years ago gave birth to the environmental movement as we know it in the United States. Organizers are calling for a global demonstration April 22, 1990, to mark the occasion. I call attention to Earth Day 1990 in my K'89 speech as evidence, if we need any, that the environmental movement is not a passing fad. Another article in this issue involves the naming of SPI's Vice Presi dent of Technical Affairs, Pat Toner, to chair Technical Committee 61 (TC 61) of the International Standards Organization (ISO) (page six). TC 61 is the group devoted to setting international standards of material properties for plastics resins. As we approach the inauguration of the European Commonmarket in 1992 and as more international markets open for U.S. plastics products, we welcome opportunities to assume leadership posts in global organi zations like ISO. BOR 007287 2 Council Programs Targ t Con umers, Schools The Council for Solid Waste Solu tions (CSWS) has proposed three farreaching communications programs for 1990: a national advertising cam paign, a point-of-sales consumer education program and a schools program. The Council's Executive Board will consider these proposals in Decem. ber as part of its budget discussions. National Ad Campaign The national advertising campaign, under development for the past year, includes ads for print only, designed to run as a series of up to five. Two have been developed (one is shown on this page) and tested in focus groups. Research results for the Council's national ad campaign revealed sev eral important facts: (1) There is a desire for information on solid waste management; (2) There is a belief the industry is making progress in trying to solve the problem; (3) People are open to presentation of the facts when the plastics industry recognizes itself as part of the prob lem. The ads would run in national publications with a readership of individuals who seek out information filled, advocacy advertisements: Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Reader's Digest, the Smithsonian magazine and the Na tional Geographic. The opinion research for the Coun cil indicates that a significant segment of the consumer population is unaware of the safety and convenience i aspects of plastics packaging, and that many consumers do not know i that plastics are recyclable. ; Thus, when confronted with iegis- Jj lative proposals to restrict the use of plastics, consumers lack the facts to j make an informed judgment about 1 their true impact. Now The race is on To Recycle morePlastics Research also indicates a reservoir of consumer goodwill toward plas tics, but the window of opportunity for tapping this resource is closing rapidly. Point of Sale The Council proposes during 1990 to produce and distribute point-ofsale, shelf-talkers and product inserts to inform shoppers of the packaging benefits and recyclability of plastics. These generic materials would be posted in sections of supermarkets that feature plastics packaging. The concepts for this program have been developed and will be tested with grocery retailers and consumers before the December meeting of the CSWS Executive Board. Schools and Teachers In many communities, school stu dents and their teachers are driving efforts to boycott -- and even ban -- some plastics products, based on misleading and incorrect informa tion. The Council's research con cluded that: (1) Teachers and students desire factual information about solid waste 3 management; (2) Environmental groups are al ready communicating with teachers and students on solid waste manage ment issues while industry, for the most part, is not; (3) The Council's message works and is credible. The Council proposes to undertake a two-pronged approach that will inform teachers about solid waste issues and provide the resources that will enable them to educate their stu dents about the issues. The first, called Solid Waste and Plastics Education Program (SWAP), will develop materials to be used by Council-affiliated speakers who will address groups in schools in which anti-plastics sentiment is strongest. The Council also proposes to create Environmental Education Associates (EEA), a separate business venture bringing together industry, environ mental and educational groups to teach educators about solid waste. EEA would train teachers about these important issues through a se ries of one-day seminars held around the country, using special materials developed for the program. BOR 007288 SPI Asking Industry to Get Involved Earth Day 1990: How Will Plastics Fare? J (The following is adapted from a pres- J' entation by SPI Vice President of Communications, Ronald Bruner, before the annual meeting of the Council ofChemi; cal Association Executives.) I April 22,1990, will mark the 20th anniversary of Earth Day--the event that gave birth to the environmental movement as we know it today. In the two decades following that public outpouring of concern for ; planet Earth, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed and scores of laws passed, including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Numerous forces are now con verging which promise to make April 22,1990, an event to remember. ! Organizers envision: I ' * Live television broadcasts from the top of Mount Ever est and a submarine in the depths of the ocean. Satellite music concerts (a la Live Aid). ' A media blitz of newspa pers, magazines, radio and television, A celebrity appearance cam- j paign. ! Sermons on the environi ment from pulpits across the i land. ! * An international environi mental summit. ! * And, among other things, local demonstrations in ! thousands of communities J worldwide. Their ultimate goal, according to one leading organizer is "... a monumental worldwide demon stration by several hundred million people that literally will shake the political leadership of the world out of its lethargy . . ." The goals of the organizers are wide ranging, but a few that could directly impact the plastics industry include: ^ A ban on CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals. Elimination of toxic chlorin ated chemicals. A ban on non-recyclable/ biodegradable packaging. A 20-year transition from fossil fuels to renewable en ergy sources. * And, creation of an interna tional agency with the au thority to protect the atmos phere and oceans. Who's behind this effort? Organi zations such as Earth Day 1990, Earth Day 20, the Greenhouse Crisis Foun dation, Greenpeace, and many oth ers. Behind those groups are such notables as TV commentator Hugh Downs, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, broad casting tycoon Ted Turner, scores of Congressmen and movie/television stars, and the leaders of nearly every major environmental/conservation group. Of particular interest is the involve ment of Hollywood. The heads of every major movie studio -- Disney, Columbia, Warner Bros, and Fox -- are actively organizing environ mental efforts, and media attention is expected to be intense. The EPA has even appointed a spe cial assistant to the Administrator to plan for Earth Day 1990. Here at home, public concern con tinues to grow. In 1970 when the first Earth Day was held, 48 percent of the people polled by Gallup expressed concern about air pollution and 46 percent were worried about water pollution. By 1988 (before the Exxon Valdez accident), those figures had grown dramatically to 84 percent for air and 73 percent for water. 4 On the international level, the Eco nomic Summit in Paris in July re vealed mounting concern at the highest levels, with one-third of the final communique devoted to the environment, more attention than any other subject covered. The "Green Wave" that is about to hit America's shores already has swept through Europe and Britain. ", . . in the last year, environmental concerns have triggered the biggest change in consumer purchasing behavior since the oil-price explo sion of the early 1970s," according to a London ad agency chief quoted in the July 12 Wall Street Journal. The August 1 issue of Business & Public Affairs Fortnightly notes that "eco-marketing is emerging as a powerful force for boosting market share." Growing attention to degradable and recyclable packaging are prime examples of eco-marketing within the plastics industry. Perhaps the situation was best summed up by The Futurist maga zine in its May-June issue: "The doctrine of stewardship of the earth has developed dramati cally in the last two decades... the choice for industry is no longer whether it will be responsible, but how. . ." With six months to go, there's still time for your company to make plans to participate in an active, positive way. SPI will have available soon mate rials and recommendations for how its member companies can get in volved. Let's make sure the plastics indus try is regarded as part of the solu tion, not part of the environmental problem. BOR 007289 Shippers Reap Big Dividends From ICC Decisions Editors Note: The July President's Report featured SPl's Committee on Transportation and Distribution ) (COT&D)and how it works to reduce the costs and improve the effectiveness of these aspects of the plastics industry. That article reported an initial savings of $11 million in annual transportation costs to plastics shippers, but a recent federal decision means even better sav ings. This article is an update. The plastics resin industry will soon be experiencing annual savings of approximately 28 million because of a Sept. 19 decision by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). This action was a long time in com| ing. With decisions in March and ! again in July, the ICC took measures ! enabling the plastics industry to ex- j perience savings of this magnitude. j j In calculating the quarterly Rail i Cost Adjustment Factor, the Comi mission expanded the averaging pe riod for the productivity calculation to six years and included the 1987 data. Because of these two decisions, the railroads' cost increases are offset by a productivity value for a 0.2 percent net increase for the coming quarter. Thus, the plastics industry will reap significant savings in transport ing plastics resins, but the long run! ning battle between the railroads and the shippers is not over. In her dissenting opinion, ICC Chairwoman Heather Gradison said the decision "... will rapidly reverse i the climate of freedom and investor | enthusiasm that has been responsible for the technological and managerial ! modernization of the last decade." Harry B. Ussery, left, president of Ball Unimark Inc., received the highest honorgwen annually by the Eastern Region -- the Annual Achievement Award--at Econ XV held in early October at Ponte Vedra Resort, Fla. Past Chairman S. Richard Averett, last year's recipient, presented the award to Ussery for his service to the plastics industry. ! \ SPI Division Highlights Editors from major plastics indus try magazines attended a press con ference given by SPl's Composites Institute at New York City's World Trade Center. The event in Septem ber was a pre-conference briefing in preparation for the Institute's 45th Annual Conference and Expo '90. The Institute's Annual Conference and Expo '90 is scheduled Feb. 12-19 in the Washington Convention Cen ter, Washington, D.C. More than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space will house booths of unlimited size. For more information: Serena E. Siegfried, SPI Composites Institute, 355 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017; (212) 351-5410 or fax (212) 370-1731. Tech X, the 10th Annual Shape Molders Technical Conference, will address two critical issues facing the expanded polystyrene industry 5 around the world: handling solid i waste and working within restrictive j pentane emission regulations. Sponsored by SPl's Expanded Polystyrene Division (EPS), Tech X will be held Nov. 16-18 at the Allgauer's Hotel in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, 111. This year's conference will feature speakers who are working at the fore front of the solid waste and pentane emissions issues, including Ron Liesemer, vice president of technology for the SPI Council for Solid Waste Solutions, and George Stinson of Pacific Molded Foam, Long Beach, Calif., who will present the pentane status report. , : [ i "It's exciting to actually present real solutions for these two issues, since they have been plaguing the industry for the past few years," said John Wiman, a member of the EPS Division Policy Board Jj | ! BOR 007290 I % PLASTICS-- A World of Possibilities PI Mails Kits to Schools SPI has sent more than 10,000 jun ior high school science teachers free education kits to introduce students to the basic principles of polymer sci ence. Titled PLASTICS--A World ofPossi bilities, the kit was developed as part of the SPI's Special Communications program to enhance the image of plastics. It was prepared and distrib uted last month by Lifetime Learning Systems, Inc., of Fairfield Conn., a leading creator of corporate-spon sored educational materials. The kit contains a four-page teacher's guide, four different stu dent activity sheets, a full-color wall poster and a user reply card. The ac tivity sheets can be reproduced by the teacher in quantities to match class size. A resource list also is available for teachers who contact SPI for addi tional information. The guide explains program objec tives and provides teachers with background information for each ac tivity and suggests additional proj ects to supplement the student activ ity masters. Limited quantities of the kits are available through SPI's Literature Sales Department for $5 each/mem bers and $10 each/non-members. For more information about the kits, contact Gabrielle A. Hampson, manager of SPI Special Communica tions at (202) 371-5213. H. Patrick Toner Accepts ISO Chairmanship Hugh Patrick Toner, vice president of SPI's Technical Affairs Depart ment, has been named to chair Tech nical Committee 61 (TC 61) of the International Standards Organiza tion (ISO). Overall, ISO is composed of more than 70 countries which are repre sented by a standards making organi zation in each country. The U.S. rep resentative (member body) is the American National Standards Insti tute in New York City. TC 61, made up of 26 countries, is the ISO technical committee respon sible for developing internationally acceptable standards (test methods, specifications, terminology) for plas tic materials and products. ISO TC-61 is one of 157 Technical Committees active within ISO. It is the "international counterpart" to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-20 Committee for Plastics in North America. TC-61 has been in existence for more than 40 years; the United States has been a member country continu ously. Toner said his position is essen tially "to provide administrative leadership. The technical work is done by various subcommittees and working groups. This ensures ade quate representation and participa tion of experts from all over the world in the development of an interna tional consensus." ISO TC-61 meets annually in differ ent cities around the world by invita tion. The committee met Sept. 16-23 in Paris. Toner, who attended the meeting, said there was a general sense that the European delegates were eager to advance work items to the next stage in anticipation of the harmonization of European stan dards in 1992. The next ISO TC-61 meeting will be Sept. 15-22,1990, in Orlando, Fla. At the Paris meeting, 85 documents advanced in status, including 25 to be 6 published as international standards. In addition, 11 existing international standards were reaffirmed and five new work items were introduced, including a proposed standard prac tice for generic marking of plastic products. 1 Once a new work item is accepted, it progresses through the three stages for ISO documents: draft proposal, draft international standard and, finally, international standard. { ! 1 Because ISO procedures require that there be a six-month period for balloting by each participating coun try prior to document advancement, individual standards take at least two years to be developed and published. The U.S. vote on any item is cast by ANSI, which receives its technical guidance and direction from the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The U.S. TAG is a subcommittee of ASTM D-20, subcommittee D-20.61. cm r* o The U.S. TAG meets regularly at ASTM D-20 meetings. pj __________________________________ O m Sid E. Rains Assumes Top NPE '91 Post Sid E. Rains, consultant for trade shows to Van Dorn Plastics Machin ery Co., has been elected chairman of the 1991 National Plastics Exposition -- NPE '91. Charles W. "Jerry" Eha, vice presi dent of Marketing, Littleford Group Inc., has been elected vice chairman of the triennial event. Other members of the NPE '91 Executive Committee are: David P. Hahn, vice president- general manager. Specialty Equipment Busi ness, Cincinnati Milacron Chairman of the Operations Committee Sanford C. Schulert, director Marketing Communications, Amoco Chemical Co. Chairman, Public Relations & Advertising Committee H. B. "Ben" Turner, consult ant, GE Plastics Chairman of the Conference Committee Vincent L. Witherup, vice president - Sales, The Conair Group Chairman of the Finance Committee William J. Norris, president Conair Gatto Ex-Officio Member and Chairman of NPE '88 Rains has been active in the man agement and success of the NPE for many years, serving at various times on working committees, as a commit tee chairman, and most recently as vice chairman of the last exposition in 1988. SP1 General Counsel Jerry Heckman, center, was honored by the SPI Board at its September meeting for 35 years of service to the Society. Offering congratulations are Chairman Bill Bradbury, left, and President Larry Thomas. Heckman, a founding partner of the law firm of Keller and Heckman, has devoted almost his entire career to representing the plastics industry. NPE '91, one of the largest indus trial trade shows in the United States, will be held in Chicago's McCormick Place exhibition complex June 17-21, 1991. In other NPE '91 developments, the prospectus is being mailed this month to former NPE exhibitors. If you do not receive one by mid-No vember and would like one, contact the SPI Trade Shows office at (202) 371-5235; fax (202) 842-3583. Sid E. Rains NPE '91 Chairman 7 Communication Protocol Now Availabl Licensing agreements are available through SPI's Ma chinery Division for the SPI-developed Communication Protocol. The completion of Phase I of the Protocol by the Machinery Division and the Machinery Component Manu facturers Division represents an effort to solve a common prob lem -- lack of interfacing be tween different brands of auxil iary equipment. Phase I allows for communi cation between a machine and its auxiliary equipment. Phase II will allow for robot ics communication between machines or between machine and host computer. The SPI Communication Protocol Development Kit is available to members for $2,500; non-members for $5,000. AH companies must sign a licens ing agreement with SPI. For information: Walt Bishop, (202) 371-5230 BOR 007292 SPI Spotlight: International Division The SPI International Division is comprised of members with a direct interest in international trade through export sales, offshore pro duction, joint ventures or related ac tivities. Division members are from mate rial and machinery supplier compa nies, moldmaker and auxiliary equipment providers, plastic product manufacturers -- both proprietary and custom processors -- as well as foreign trade consultants, and finan cial and business advisory firms. The principal business of the Inter national Division is to facilitate for eign trade opportunities for mem bers. To do this, the division wants to make available the most current in formation on specific markets, prod ucts and trade practices. While SPI cannot supplant the function of the export marketing de partments of member companies or of the Export Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, it can bring together the collective expertise of its members, government agencies (such as the Office of the Trade Repre sentative), and experts in the private sector. Trade Survey SPI also offers devices for tracking trade opportunities and bringing the products and services of member companies to the attention of poten tial foreign customers. A program to put in place the wid est available range of trade opportu nities currently possible is now being undertaken by the International Divi sion. A survey of trade opportunities in terest also is currently underway to determine the extent to which mem bers want SPI involvement with Who's Who CHAIRMAN Chet H. Baranowski Binks Manufacturing Co. VICE CHAIRMAN Don Miller Killion Extruders Inc. IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN William Marquard Occidental Chemical Co. SPI STAFF DIRECTOR Jack Murphy sales and marketing offshore. The specific programs which the Division wants to offer include an export trading company; an elec tronic bulletin board of trade oppor tunities; representation at foreign trade shows for member companies; information clearinghouse on tariff and non-tariff policies and practices in foreign markets, and seminars to encourage or assist new exporters. PLASTICOS '89 The Division began in 1989 to emphasize foreign market participa tion by representing SPI at PLASTICOS '89 in Mexico City in March. While this was not the first time SPI and the Division were sponsors and participants at this trade show, PLASTICOS '89 was the first one in which the SPI President participated. Larry Thomas gave the opening ad- I lie Sockt". (it Uv i'i.ir,tics , iiu 1275 K Street, N.W., Suite 400 Washington, D. C. 20005 (202) 371-5200 8 dress and opened a dialogue with the Mexican plastics industry and the trade associations which represent its interests. Thomas gave plaques to SPI members recognizing their con tribution to this joint government / business foreign trade effort. PLASTICOS '89, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce, drew record attendance and topped all previous PLASTICOS shows in par ticipation by U.S. plastics companies. | | j j Far East Activities The International Division hosted a trade delegation from the Peoples Republic of China in March in antici pation of a trade mission later in the spring. SPI members were repre sented at ChinaPlas '89, a trade show held in early April in Shanghai. Although political upheaval in \ China has stalled opportunities for trade advancement there, SPI mem bers continue to be interested in the Far East. Thailand, India and Japan have held or will hold trade shows of great interest to plastics and the industries that plastics manufacturers serve. ! j j j j i CORE Program The International Division and the Machinery Component Manufactur ers Division of SPI hold a joint meet ing on foreign trade opportunities this month. The meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., will map out antici pated directions for trade in the Americas, the Far East and in Europe. At this meeting the Division will encourage prospective exporters to examine their potential to export through an objective, computerdriven, self-analysis program called CORE: COmpany Readiness to Ex port. This program was developed by the University of Michigan School of Marketing and was underwritten by the SPI International Division. BOR 0 0 7 2 9 3