Plastic Recycling Symbol Targeted

A movement is under way to throw out laws in 39 states requiring the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol to appear on plastic bags and containers.

Arguing that the symbol misleads consumers because most plastics are not recycled, a coalition of recyclers and environmentalists is seeking legislation in California and other states that would ban the use of the arrows on plastic products.

The effort is supported by attorneys general in 11 states, including California Atty. Gen. Daniel E. Lungren. They say the arrows are confusing and have been inappropriately used as marketing tools by some plastics manufacturers.

According to Lance King, executive director of Californians Against Waste, the arrows are part of a numerical code devised by the industry to tell recyclers what kind of plastic a container is made of. The numerical code runs from 1 to 7, although only plastics coded 1 or 2 are usually recycled. Thirty-nine states require use of this code in their recycling legislation.

King said confusion has arisen because consumers interpret the arrows as a sign that the container can be recycled.

The confusion is causing problems in curbside collection programs because some consumers mix non-recyclable containers, such as those for margarine or yogurt, with milk jugs or soda bottles, which can be recycled.

Solana Recyclers, which runs curbside collection programs in northern San Diego County, said the confusion drives up costs because the company must pay people to sort the plastic.

“We end up putting what we can’t use in our trash bins, and we have to pay someone to haul it away,” said Brooke Nash, the company’s executive director.

King said legislation eliminating the symbol has not yet been introduced in California, although he expects it will be within the next several weeks.

A spokesman for the plastics industry said the industry is considering modifying its recycling code, including possible elimination of the arrows in states where the symbol is not required.

Check it out: A Huntington Beach company is introducing a line of personal checks bearing autographed pictures of pro football star Joe Montana.

The company, Paradon Industries USA, takes in $3 million annually from the sale of beauty products and designer personal checks, mostly through mail order.

The Montana checks expand a lineup that includes checks aimed at golfers, nurses and aquarium lovers.

The checks are available showing Montana wearing either his Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers uniform--absent a few details. Paradon marketing manager Ken Stark said the National Football League didn’t give permission to reproduce the team insignias or player numbers. As a result, the checks depict Montana wearing a blank helmet and a jersey with an obscured number.

Stark said the deal allows Montana to receive an unlimited supply of his own “signature checks” at no charge. No word on whether Montana plans to use them.

Shaking up profits?: For $150, including shipping and handling, a Sherman Oaks company is selling earthquake property damage lists “with over 50,000 listings” in Los Angeles.

When we called an advertised telephone number for the list, a clerk referred us to Peter Behman, president of Mortgage Money Investment Inc. Behman did not return calls seeking information about the list.

It turns out the city of Los Angeles is also selling a list of damaged properties for $100. The city’s list is available on paper or computer disk. The Van Nuys building and safety office alone has sold 90 copies.

Jim Usui of the city’s Building and Safety Commission said it would be difficult for a private company to duplicate the four-week building inspection effort that went into compiling the city’s list. While the city is not making money on its list, Usui said, there is no law preventing its resale for a profit.

“There’s no copyright,” he said. “It’s a public document.”

Checking fees: Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based consumer group, said the state’s leading financial institutions are paying between 1% and 2% on interest-bearing checking accounts, the lowest rates ever.

The organization surveyed 37 banks, savings and loans and credit unions to compare fees and rates on checking accounts.

The organization said that if consumers aren’t careful, monthly service fees, ranging from $3 to 12 depending on the financial institution, could wipe out any interest earned.

According to Consumer Action’s survey, the minimum balance needed to avoid fees on interest-bearing accounts ranged from $9 at Home Savings of America to $1,500 at Bank of America and Wells Fargo and $2,000 at Sumitomo Bank.

However, Home Savings doesn’t pay interest on balances of less than $500. BofA, Wells Fargo and Sumitomo have no such restriction, the survey found.