Disposing of Plastics

“Environmental authorities” Louis Blumberg and Robert Gottlieb made some less than accurate observations in “Do We Need All These Bags and Bottles?” (California Commentary, Nov. 27).

They stated that “plastic is both the fastest-growing packaging component and the least available for reusing and recycling. Yet these industries conspicuously omit any mention of source reduction when talking about garbage-management solutions.”

What Blumberg and Gottlieb failed to acknowledge is that plastics have remained consistent at about 20% from a volume standpoint in the municipal solid waste stream for several decades because the industry continues to develop more efficient products.

Furthermore, the plastics industry promotes an integrated approach to solid waste management, including source reduction, recycling, composting, waste-to-energy incineration and, only as a last resort, landfilling. (Many believe that plastics will be among the most recyclable materials by the end of the 1990s.)

It’s irresponsible and unrealistic to suggest that we can solve the solid waste problem by calling on just one of the aforementioned components. Blumberg and Gottlieb appear to maintain a “Happy Days” mentality; they’d like to see society return to a more rudimentary time.

That approach simply isn’t practical given the kinds of social and economic realities that dictate our life styles.

Rather than point a discriminatory finger at one part of the problem, the two should help develop meaningful solutions to our solid waste problem.

TOM L. KORNEGAY JR.

Western Regional Director

Issues Management Dept.

Amoco Foam Products Co.

Murrieta, Calif.