700 businesses handling and reclaiming post-consumer plastics (American Plastics Council, 2). Through their support of economically and environmentally responsible and sustainable plastics recycling, the plastics industry and organizations such as the American Plastics Council have played a role in that growth. During the period between 1990 and 1998, the plastics industry invested more than $1 billion to support increased recycling within the United Sates. APC continues to work with communities and business to promote plastic recycling opportunities.Plastics are derived from natural resources typically oil and natural gas. And yet, because plastics are so efficient, their application often conserves other resources during a product's life cycle when compared to the alternatives. For example, plastics' unique characteristics - light weight, durability, formability; enable manufacturers to minimize the material used, energy consumed and waste generated in making products ranging from coffee cups to automobiles. Through effective resource conservation, we all can mitigate the impact of consumption on the planet by using the earth's resources wisely. This includes making and choosing products that minimize the energy consumed and environmental impact during production, through the life of a product, and on to final disposal. Sometimes all you need to do is reuse. Reuse provides another significant way to conserve resources. Plastics’ durability allows many products and packaging to be reused over and over again. Not surprisingly, in a 1997 survey, Wirthlin Worldwide found that more than 80 percent of Americans reuse plastic products and packaging in their home. Plastics are durable, making it a material of choice for commonly reused items, such as food storage containers and refillable sports bottles. Reuse of plastics reduces trash disposal costs and extends landfill capacity. For example, as much as 40 percent of certain plastic p...
