Trashed Beaches Aren’t Plastic’s Fault
The California Coastal Commission and the 4,538 volunteers who removed 22 tons of trash along Orange County beaches recently are to be commended for their efforts (“The Coast Is Clear, for a Day,” Sept. 18). However, I was disappointed, if not somewhat chagrined, to learn that Peggy Blanchard of Long Beach “will never buy Styrofoam again.” This statement represents the public misperception that plastics are the problem when in reality the problem is the method by which some individuals discard insulated plastic. (Insulated packaging makes up far less than 1% of most landfills.)
Environmental responsibility is a serious concern of the plastics industry. We support recycling programs to reclaim and reuse post-consumer plastics and we are expending every effort to inform and assist the public with this task. As a matter of fact, the American Plastics Council and the Society of the Plastics Industry sponsored the Center for Marine Conservation’s Annual International Coastal Clean Up on Sept. 17.
In spite of our recent economy, the plastics industry is growing, providing millions of jobs and billions of dollars to our national economy.
MICHAEL L. SMITH
Director, Society of the Plastics Industry,
Western Section
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
