July 30, 2001

APC, SPI must avoid bureaucratic impasse
Malcolm S. Scar
Plastic Management Inc.
 
Editor’s note: This letter was addressed to George A. Makrauer and copied to Plastics News.

Your well-written letter in the Mailbag section on June 25 (“SPI has value despite membership decline,” Page 6) points out my concern with the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc.’s divorce from the American Plastics Council and the recent exploratory discussions between APC and the American Chemistry Council.

Energy-based corporations have enormous financial interests and strength in promoting consumption of their byproduct of plastics raw materials. Joining APC with ACC is a mistake at present. All APC members belong to ACC, so it is intelligent in times like these to talk of combining, if it would save meaningful dollars. Currently, it is penny-wise and pound-foolish! These major corporations should not bite the hand that has fed them for the last 60 years. The current generation of decision-makers must speak with their peers and mentors to rediscover how they arrived at their current level of business market share.

APC would be more self-serving to our now adult plastics industry if it would turn around and give back what it already took away from the SPI. I have been an active representative since 1965 and have watched SPI grow to a point where it forgot from whence it came. Scaling back on bureaucracy within SPI and giving more attention to the Davids rather than to the Goliaths is what all leaders of APC and SPI must do to move forward in harmony and growth.

Malcolm S. Scar

Plastic Management Inc.

Boynton Beach, Fla.