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SOUND OFF! LeROY H. DOAR Death of a packaging material When one examines the number of the fumes unite with moisture, small such levels can be determined and significant packaging materials, he is amounts of hydrochloric acid are maintained, just as proper incinerating struck by the fact that even the oldest formed. All the discussion in the world methods were found to control the ones--wood, metal, glass--are still very will not erase the fact that HC1 will eat corrosive effects of PVC. much with us. True, their uses may have the hell out of metal. Incinerators for the However, more than one injustice has been undermined by newer products, most part in this country are not been the result of fear rather than fact but in their old age, they maintain a designed to compensate for this and even if the facts eventually posture that is a credit to geriatrics. deleterious effect--generally speaking exonerate PVC, the damage has already What we now have, however, is the they are in Europe--and no matter been done. No matter how much society sad case of infant mortality. Barring a whether PVC is a part of the solid waste may later regret such examples as the miracle of modern medicine, perhaps stream which is burned or if quantities Dreyfus Case or the forced migration of literally as well as figuratively, polyvinyl of it are ignited in a plant fire, the Japanese-Americans from the West chloride (PVC) is a soon-to-be-buried potential hazard is there. Frankly, I Coast in 1942, subsequent retribution packaging material. think the danger has been overblown, can scarcely ameliorate the situation. 4 PVC Lives Active Life but then, I thought the same about the With such influential forces as the Corvair. federal National Institute for Occupa 5 What a fine record PVC has made tional Safety and Health, the Health during its relatively short life. While Gets Challenge from Glass Research Group, the Food and Drug most packaging changes take years, The second strike was, interestingly Administration, the Consumer Product within the space of only months, PVC enough, thrown at PVC by one of the Safety Commission, the Environmental film became the standard overwrap for older packaging materials, glass. In their Protection Administration, the Occupa fresh red meat packages. Once accept efforts to destroy the PVC liquor bottle, tional Safety and Health Administration, able stabilizers were found, crystal clear the Glass Container Manufacturers' and who knows who else, demanding the PVC bottles appeared to be the Institute filed a brief--a misnomer if elimination or at least the control of long-sought answer for a plastic to there ever was one--detailing on page PVC packages, no packaging profes- /S. 'i compete with glass. It should be noted after page every shortcoming, real or sional can justify recommending the use. that the battle to secure FDA approval imagined, that PVC might have. The of PVC by his company. of suitable stabilizers was long and result was delayed approval of the PVC costly and but one example of the'tough liquor bottle and the subsequent costly No Easy, Quick Answer struggle which has been waged in behalf effort by the Society of the Plastics Obviously, this is an enormously of PVC packaging. Industry to refute the claims. Let the complex subject and one about which As its potential packaging uses record show that SPI's efforts seemed the final answers may not be known for became apparent, producers recognized about to pay off and PVC was to be years. Men of good will are working the need to develop machinery suitable given another chance. hard to produce the answers, but neither for converting PVC resin into bottles. Unfortunately, our mythical pitcher the public nor companies who package The Europeans were well ahead of us was saving his best pitch for the third products can afford to gamble on a here and for a time, the only satisfactory strike. Cancer. Even the sound of the positive outcome. The ban on the use of blow-molding equipment was manufac word promotes fear and the very real cyclomates may have been premature, tured aVoad. One would hate to guess fact that men have died from what but who wishes to be used for a test? the amount of time and money which appears to be the effects of exposure to f(3ne can only hope that the fallout has been spent in developing PVC PVC was just too much for our tired from the adverse PVC publicity will not processing equipment, but the effort has batter. The argument may continue, but damage its use and growth in areas other been spectacular. American machines PVC is no longer a viable packaging than packaging. It is a dandy product are every bit as good as the best from material. and although the PVC producers will abroad and the processing rates reflect a suffer from the loss of packaging high degree of efficiency and quality Problem is the Monomer applications, they should not be construction. Lest there be any misunderstanding, it penalized unnecessarily. In baseball, the rule is three strikes, is the vinyl chloride monomer, not PVC In anticipation of the mail this column then out. Although our PVC batter is itself, that has been identified as the will generate, let me say that naught now arguing with the umpire, the third culprit. There is some doubt about the would make me happier than to be strike has been called and the ball game causative effects of VCM. But the proved wrong in my conclusions, but is over. The first strike was thrown mounting evidence cannot be dismissed failure to face the problem is, in my about a year or so ago when the lightly. A major effort is underway to view, the greater sin. There are corrosive effects of PVC first came to establish VCM levels which are alternatives to PVC packages; I must light. When the polymer is burned and considered safe and I have no doubt that counsel the use of them. JULY 1974/31 23451001