plastic magazines

[myna lee johnstone]

No! No! No!
Write to them Tell them its silly.

[Amy Perlmutter]

 I would doubt this is even recyclable. If they are saying it is, they could be reported to the FTC as a false marketing claim:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm

From the guidelines: 

(d) Recyclable: It is deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, that a product or package is recyclable. A product or package should not be marketed as recyclable unless it can be collected, separated or otherwise recovered from the solid waste stream for reuse, or in the manufacture or assembly of another package or product, through an established recycling program. Unqualified claims of recyclability for a product or package may be made if the entire product or package, excluding minor incidental components, is recyclable. For products or packages that are made of both recyclable and non-recyclable components, the recyclable claim should be adequately qualified to avoid consumer deception about which portions or components of the product or package are recyclable. Claims of recyclability should be qualified to the extent necessary to avoid consumer deception about any limited availability of recycling programs and collection sites. If an incidental component significantly limits the ability to recycle a product or package, a claim of recyclability would be deceptive. A product or package that is made from recyclable material, but, because of its shape, size or some other attribute, is not accepted in recycling programs for such material, should not be marketed as recyclable.(4)

Amy Perlmutter

Perlmutter Associates
23 Avon Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-5456

Strategic planning, partnership building, communications, and program design for a sustainable future

Begin forwarded message:

Date: Sun, Nov 30 2008 3:52 pm

From: "Kendall Christiansen"

Excerpt from newsletter that tracks the magazine industry; info/opinions

welcome:

CLEAR, the fashion magazine with the clear cover, is going bimonthly and

has

published a 100% tree free and fully recyclable issue (yes, even the

cover).

It's printed on "synthetic papers" made by YUPO.  Waterproof, stain

resistant, and durable, the paper is actually a category 5 polypropylene

plastic film and contains no timber or organic fiber of any kind.  When

you're done reading it, simply toss it in the recycling with your empty

bottles of soda, per the manufacturer.  But is recycling plastic better

than

recycling paper?

Kendall Christiansen

[Christine McCoy]

I think I've mentioned before that this is likely similar to what the book Cradle to Cradle was printed on.
 
Here's what the website (http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm) says:
 
"And the book can be easily recycled in localities with systems to collect polypropylene, like that in yogurt containers. This 'treeless' book points the way toward the day when synthetic books, like many other products, can be used, recycled, and used again without losing any material quality—in cradle to cradle cycles."
 
Therefore, I don't think you can get them for making a false claim, but I doubt that anyone on the sorting line would know what the heck the magazine is made out of and toss it into the reject pile. :(
 
It's just another scam - like making "plastic" out of corn starch, or other biodegradable materials. There's no infrastructure to identify, separate or ultimately recycle (or compost, in the case of bioplastics), so essentially it's just garbage!!! People who do not deal in resource recovery on a daily basis often come up with these hair-brained ideas - putting the horse before the cart. 
 
Christine McCoy
 


 

---

[Amy Perlmutter]

I'm not sure how many programs in the country have PP recycling.  Also, does anyone know if this is like HDPE, where the specific gravity is different based on the molding process (ie, blow vs. injection molded)?  If so, that could make it incompatible with other PP, like yoghurt cups, unless perhaps it was going as mixed plastic for plastic lumber. 

---

Send e-mail anywhere. No map, no compass. Get your Hotmail® account now.

[Thomas Shelley]

Dear Amy and Colleagues--The PP "paper" substitute wouldn't be recycled in our county either (Tompkins Co., Upstate NY).   All our solid waste folks are taking now that is PP are yoghurt, butter and similar tubs (no lids).   There are many manufacturers who claim that their product is recyclable, but there are seemingly very few recyclers able to handle most of these products.  In an ideal world, yes, maybe, but not with today's economy in a rural county in Upstate NY. 

The idea of recyclable paper substitutes is not new.  McDonough and Braungart are were big proponents of this concept in their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle.  The problem is that PP is made of oil and uses substantial fossil fuel inputs in its manufacture.  Making virgin paper is an equal disaster environmentally, but I suppose recycled paper is the best way to go.  It seems to me that lots of paper still gets landfilled that could be books and what ever in a world with little or no waste and many more standing trees.  Tom

On 12-2-08 Amy Perlmutter wrote:

I'm not sure how many programs in the country have PP recycling.  Also, does anyone know if this is like HDPE, where the specific gravity is different based on the molding process (ie, blow vs. injection molded)?  If so, that could make it incompatible with other PP, like yoghurt cups, unless perhaps it was going as mixed plastic for plastic lumber.

-- 

******************************************
Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tj...@cornell.edu

Compost Educator and General Substantiality Scion

[Ann Dorfman]

I don’t see that it matters whether this magazine is theoretically recyclable. Practically speaking, if it were to be placed in a recycling bin it would most likely be sorted with other paper magazines and end up as a contaminant in the paper recycling process. The probability that this would actually end up at a PP processing facility if were to be sent to a MRF is so slim it is not even worth thinking about.

 

I sent Clear Magazine http://www.clearmag.com/ an email asking for information about what research they had done about the recyclability of this product but did not receive a response. This is the second edition they have printed on plastic, and apparently it is quite expensive and problematic. The plus seems to be that you can read it in the bath.

 

You can read their promo at http://www.clearmag.com/blog/?id=966c079f8cb83028199fde576b959e6a.

 

Ann Dorfman
Recycling & Resource Management Consulting
9 Henshaw Street, Newton, MA   02465
V: 617-244-9321
F: 617-446-1431
ann_con...@comcast.net

[Aysegül]

Below is Yupo's Environmental statement.

Aysegul Acar-Dreyer
Falls Church, VA

<<< http://www.yupousa.com/content/view/108/172/
YUPO paper symbolizes CLEAR's mission through many avenues. Its
transparent nature provides the perfect cover for our magazine. It is
also an innovative, new and exciting product that is working towards
revolutionizing the world. CLEAR magazine is the first publication
ever to be printed entirely on YUPO paper, with a patent pending clear
cover, and the only one to focus on using various high end paper
stocks.

Orange is the new green.
At Yupo Corporation America, our respect for the environment is
unwavering. This unqualified respect is reflected in both our products
and our manufacturing processes, and we are committed to honoring our
internal mandate for resolute environmental stewardship.
Our parent companies, Oji Paper Company and Mitsubishi Chemical
Company, are equally committed to honoring this mandate.

Our Forest, Seas, and Air
Yupo Corporation America is vigilant about preserving and protecting
our vital natural resources in the manufacture of YUPO synthetic
papers.

YUPO is a 100% "tree-free" product, containing neither timber nor any
other organic fiber. As such, YUPO contributes to the preservation of
our natural timber resources.

YUPO synthetic paper generates no detectable amounts of sulfur,
chlorine, nitrogen, or dioxin gases when properly incinerated and
generates less heat energy compared to other plastics.

Yupo Corporation America is a proud sponsor of and is endorsed by the
Waterless Printing Association, an international organization
dedicated to the reduction and eventual elimination of water in the
printing process.

No ozone layer threatening emissions result from the manufacturing
process.

100% Recyclable
YUPO synthetic paper is a category 5 polypropylene (PP) plastic film
and is 100% recyclable.

Due to its exceptional durability, YUPO normally enters the waste
stream at a far slower rate than conventional paper and will remain
inert in any approved landfill. Safely incinerated in a modern
facility with an atmosphere of excess oxygen, YUPO will yield only
water, carbon dioxide and ash.

YUPO synthetic papers can be reclaimed as a plastic resin and used in
manufacturing a wide variety of both industrial and consumer products.
These products exhibit the same performance characteristics as those
made with virgin plastics.

100% Responsible
We maintain a standard of 100% compliance with all applicable
environmental laws, and we are committed to effecting continual
improvements in our processes and to developing environmentally
compatible manufacturing technologies and products.

YUPO synthetic papers are manufactured at our state-of-the-art
facility in Chesapeake, Virginia. Local environmental authorities have
officially recognized our facility and our employees for
"demonstrating a commitment to environmental excellence in the
handling and discharge of wastewater." >>>

[Anne Peters]

Maybe this makes sense in Japan where there is more incineration but PP is not too widely recycled in the US... sounds like a candidate for a website you will all enjoy:
www.greenwashingindex.com

[Helen Spiegelman]

What is ignored when we talk about using PP and other plastics as fuel is that this is fossil fuel, having the same impact on the climate as coal or gas. So along with writing off investment of energy to extract, refine and manufacture with plastics, incinerators are loading fossil carbons in the atmosphere. Why don't the Japanese and the Europeans see this?

Helen
Zero Waste Vancouver

[David Biddle]

With respect to Helen’s points about polypropylene paper and fossil fuels: obviously, we don’t have a lifecycle analysis here, but I would imagine a case can be made for recycled paper also having a fossil fuel component built into it and that of the two YUPO may be able to argue their energy input is less — even with incineration. I don’t know. I’m just thinking out loud.

Whatever the case, I don’t see greenwashing here as much as I see confusion between mainstream environmental/conservation issues and the broader issue of fossil fuels, global warming, recycling, and economic development. Kind of like all the institutions out there using biodegradable cups with no composting program to take them to. We’re going to see a lot more of this confusion if the “green” business movement is more than the fad it was back in the 90s.

--
David Biddle, Executive Director
<http://www.gpcrc.com>
Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council
P.O. Box 4037
Philadelphia, PA 19118

215-247-3090 (desk)
215-432-8225 (cell)
Visit our new web log at: http://gpcrc.blogspot.com

on 12/3/08 3:24 PM, Helen Spiegelman at hs...@telus.net wrote:

What is ignored when we talk about using PP and other plastics as fuel is that this is fossil fuel, having the same impact on the climate as coal or gas. So along with writing off investment of energy to extract, refine and manufacture with plastics, incinerators are loading fossil carbons in the atmosphere. Why don't the Japanese and the Europeans see this?

Helen

Zero Waste Vancouver <http://www.zerowastevancouver.org/index.html>

At 12:11 PM 12/3/2008, Anne Peters wrote:

Maybe this makes sense in Japan where there is more incineration but PP is not too widely recycled in the US... sounds like a candidate for a website you will all enjoy:

www.greenwashingindex.com <http://www.greenwashingindex.com>

Aysegül wrote:

--
David Biddle, Executive Director
<http://www.gpcrc.com>
Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council
P.O. Box 4037
Philadelphia, PA 19118

215-247-3090 (desk)
215-432-8225 (cell)
Visit our new web log at: http://gpcrc.blogspot.com

[Neil Tangri]

This is a good point, Helen. It's not only a fossil fuel, but a
carbon-inefficient one, at that. There are some nice charts in Stop
Trahsing the Climate <www.stoptrashingtheclimate.org> and GAIA's new
position paper on climate change <www.globalgaia.org/cc> which show that
incinerators produce less energy per ton of CO2 emitted than coal -- and
of course, coal is a much worse performer than natural gas.

Helen Spiegelman wrote:
> What is ignored when we talk about using PP and other plastics as fuel

> is that this is _fossil fuel_, having the same impact on the climate as
> coal or gas. So along with _writing off investment of energy_ to

> extract, refine and manufacture with plastics, incinerators are loading

> _fossil carbons in the atmosphere_. Why don't the Japanese and the
> Europeans see this?
>
> Helen
> Zero Waste Vancouver <http://www.zerowastevancouver.org/index.html>

>
>
>
> At 12:11 PM 12/3/2008, Anne Peters wrote:
>> Maybe this makes sense in Japan where there is more incineration but
>> PP is not too widely recycled in the US... sounds like a candidate for
>> a website you will all enjoy:

>> www.greenwashingindex.com <http://www.greenwashingindex.com>

[lkin...@aol.com]

TO: Jerry Powell
FROM: Lance King
CC: GreenYes

RE: New York Times article "Back at Junk Value, Recyclables Are Piling Up"

Is there another story to tell, rather than an exclusive focus on doom and gloom in recycling?

All kinds of businesses and communities must rethink their mission in the economic downturn/meltdown.  What do you think?

---

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[David Biddle]

For anyone interested, I’ve posted a blog entry on the Clear magazine, YUPO plastic paper issue at our blog. Address below. Comments are always welcome, but make them at the blog...