nd the envirorim n
. c bags, plastic
• c car parts. J
. c sends sbuddcn
environmentally con-
'5 spine..
e any speed,"
DIlvid Wy of Earth Day for
Greater' LansiJ" said, quoting
Ralph Nadel's reference to
Gmenl Motors. "Plastic is toxic
DO matter what hape it' s in,"
But plastic, it seems, is here
to stay, at least for now. And the
flow of plastic products into the
olid aste stream must be
10 ed, said Wayne Kosar of
the Dep rtment of atural
Resources W e Management
Divi ion, .
Some lawma ers spotted
recyclable pi tics as a possible
alternative to the plastic waste
problem morethan a year o.
"aearly in the short-term the
plastics are going to be a sig­
nificant part of our lives," Rep.
Kostcva, D-Canton, said
So Kostevan and seven other
represen tives introduced a bill
that when passed in 1988
created the Plastics Recycling
DeYe10pneat Pond CoasOItium.
1bc seven-member ooosor­
. tium, appointed by the gover-
nor, includes representatives
from the plastics industry, the
. Department of atural Resour­
ces and the public. The 'consor­
tium was empowered to award
S3 million in grants and loans to
JX"08I'IIDS that will remove bar­
riers in plastics recycling.
The group has since tried to
100 at" things that would help
to solve or expedite problems of
plastics," said Wayne Kosar,
chairman of the consortium.
- Thursday, April 19 they held
their final hearing.
Testifying was John Eic -
hoff, president of Ronningen
Research and Development
Company in Vicksburg, who
wanted to help change the-nega­
tive reputatio of recycled plas­
tics.
His company developed a
modular plastics structure that
could be used as a handicapper
ramp, a walkway or a boat dock.
Although it was tested for
safety, he could not get the
product insured in this country.
It I think there's just a stigma
(the insurance company's) can't
Pastor's
urged to
support
"Baby Your
Baby
Campaign"
Local pa tor are en-
couraged to upport a new
puhlic information ampaign
de igned to inform women
about the importance f pren -
tal care and reps they can take
to haveh althy babie .
The camp ign i-called
"Baby Your Baby". The kick­
off of the campaign ill take
place the week preceding
• Mother's Day - May 7-13.
The campaign i being
spearheaded by General
Motor executive Debbie Din­
gell and 'tate public health
director Raj M Wiener.
I n Michigan, 11 out of
1,000 infant born each year
will not live to ce their first
birthday. The death rate for
African American infant is
two-and on -half time that of
white infants. One of the goal
of the campaign i to improve
the public awareness about the
importance of prenatal care.
Local churche can help by
encouraging young pregnant
women and -morher to seek
. I)ut prenatal services. For ser­
lice information contact the
rocal health dep rtment or the
tate heal th department at
(517) :n�-894�.
The "Black Church Connec-
20091 Summerlin Road • Fort Myers, F10rkM 33908, lions" project is an effort to
(813)466-1200 bring together local churche.
fro"u dCNef 200 Md �. and health providers in ad-
'- � dre ing mutual health is ue .
PARADI·SE FOUND
Within a mile from pldless white sand
beaches. tropical breezes and sunsets'
that are guaranteed to take your.
breath way. Now thafs paradise and
you·1I nd yourself wanting to return g n and as n.
The Rad � Inn is only three minutes from San bel Island and Ft.
Myers Beach. so Ifs the Ideal w y to �joy these beautiful destt-
with a crowded vacation spot.
nations without the Inconvenience and expense that often come'
Each guest room provides comfortabte areas for sleeping .nd
relaxing. All guest rooms come compiete with min -refrtg�atqrs.
I free In-room movies and cable 1V with remote control.
So head to par_adise. At a price you can usually only dream about.
Cutout a little paradise for yourself.
$45· per night. D.2t per person
get passed," Bckhoff said.
Wyant of Lansing' Earth
Day testified for Resource
Renewal Inc., a Coldwater com­
pany that wants a co odium
grant to develop a process that
would recycle all types of
tics.
Wyant called the ide a
"dream come true."
Rich.ardPatterson, vicepresi­
dent of Resource Renewal, told
the consortium that recycling
would' be done in an airtight
building with no smo estacks.
He said the plant would be
developed to the point where the
pollution created by the plant
would be nearly negligible.
Some companies are even
looking to the future where they
see plastic recycling as a big
business.
Julius Rim, president of In­
termet Ltd. a West Bloomfield,
asked the consortium to con­
sider a tax abatement, or ship­
ping credit so his company can
export plastic to China where it
could be recycled more cheaply
than in the United States. He
called recycling process "labor
intensive. "
He said the abatements or �
credits are necessary for
Michigan businesses to compete
ics.
Mobil Che
removed label-
brand plastic b
the bags were
because of the
by the labeling_
The bag made with a
chemical additi e causes
them to break n in sunlight.
Mobil will con ue to use the
additive in the ula for the
bags, but will n advertise the
degradability of .bags. .
Gray aid th coocems by
the Federal Tra Commission
andsomestatca orney general
also were part of e company's
deci ion to chan e the labeling.
But some eo ironmentalists
are calling Mobi s move an en­
vironmental viet ry _
_ ----I _.__
VB CO I
Seniors set
Calendar
Each Monday, Ex rcisc for
�un and good health, 11 :30
a.rn.
Each Wedn sday, Bin' '0
betorc I unch and form filled
ut for Michigan Emergency
Pres ·ription. call 764-8378.
Tuesday,' May I , Blood
pre sure clinic, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. .
. Friday. May 18. Arts En­
richment Pr gram, 10:30 a.rn.,
funded hy Michigan Council of
the Arts.
Sunday, Ma 13, HAPPY
MOTHER'S DAY. HAVE A
WONDER DAY!!! .
Monday, y 14, Van
Buren United Civic Organiza­
tion Meeting, Executive Board,
or
• Dqp'adable • cs are the
biggest hoax ev put 011 this
. " aid Do d Stypula,
of public affairs for the
gan United CooservatiOll
a
Stypula said nothiDg breaks
in a landfill, b that's
w poducts claiming to be
radable usually end up.
Although he does not support
cl . ms of biodegradability in'
pi tic bags, Stypul docs not
condemn the use of plastic if it
is recycled.
"U you choose plastic, reuse
it," Stypula said
But some environmental
groups condemn the use of all
plastics.
Besides upporting a boycott
of all biodegradable plastic
products, the Environmental
Action Foundation does not
. think recycling is a good idea
either, said Li Collation,
policy analyst for the group.
But recycling plastics could
be a temporary olotion to very
bad problem, Coli on . d, be­
cause the recycled pi tics
would replace what otberw·
might be virgin raw materials in
the manuf cturing of new
products.
6 p.m. and Membership 7 p.m.
Plan to attend.
Tue day. M y 15, enlor
Pow r Day/L n 'in Civic
Center. Bu leave' for Lansing
at 7 a.m. Box lunch. Aft r rally
top at Turkey Store. $3.50.
Nia ara Fall - oronto Trip,
from S pt mbcr 13 to 17.
Dcpo it 7�.OO. Total co t for
five day and four night i
S 75. O. Doubt accornmoda­
ti n , call 7 4- 37 or more
info.
T u day, M y 17, Tuplip
Fe t val, Holland, Michigan.
Bus leave at 9:3 a.rn. 2. o.
Lunch on your own. Lunch t
Covert cho I, 10:30 a.m. 0
lunch will he crvcd at ite.
Thur day, May 24 and
Friday, May 25, Mov;
M tin e, "Uncle Buck".
ouse-wo
'fi d mg wh t It t
,.�
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