>> SULLIVAN: But even as
Liesemer and his colleagues were
publicly promoting recycling,
privately, the industry had long
expressed doubt it was ever
going to happen on a broad
scale.
One internal document from the
Society of the Plastics Industry
cautioned, "The techniques of
cleaning and separating the
mixed plastics... has not been
developed for large-scale
economic application."
Another said, "There are no
effective market mechanisms for
mixed plastic."
And this document was candid:
"There is serious doubt"
widespread plastic recycling
"can ever be made viable on an
economic basis."
How could they go into all of
these communities and tell
people, "You just have to
recycle," when they knew there
were so many problems and so
many hurdles?
>> Some were very skeptical but
felt they had to do it.
I think others were, were more
hopeful.
There was never an enthusiastic
belief that recycling was
ultimately going to work in a
significant way.
>> SULLIVAN: Freeman's boss at
the time, Larry Thomas, the head
of the Society of the Plastics
Industry, was blunt about it.
>> I was the front man for the
plastics industry.
No getting around it.
>> SULLIVAN: Thomas wouldn't sit
down for an on-camera interview,
but agreed to talk on the phone.
>> If the public thinks the
recycling is working, then
they're not going to be as
concerned about the environment.
I think they knew that the
infrastructure wasn't there to
really have recycling amount to
a whole lot.
>> SULLIVAN: Thomas wrote a
confidential memo in 1989 about
the precarious position the
industry was in.
"The image of plastics among
consumers is deteriorating at an
alarmingly fast pace," it says.
"We're approaching a 'point of
no return.'
Business is being lost.
Analysts are beginning to take
notice.
We must immediately undertake a
major program of unprecedented
proportions to reverse this
fast-moving tidal wave of
growing negative public
perception."
So the big plastic producers
came up with a
multimillion-dollar solution...
>> When you look at plastic...
>> SULLIVAN: Advertising.
>> ...helps things stay fresh
and safe and light.
>> It spent most of its money,
millions and millions of
dollars, on advertising...
>> Plastic also saves energy.
>> To tout the virtues of
plastics as a way of heading off
the criticism the industry was
experiencing.
>> When we started that
advertising program, I think the
image of plastics was in the
mid-30s-- you know, 30, 35%
favorability.
>> SULLIVAN: That's pretty low.
>> If you're in politics, you're
in deep trouble with a 35%
rating.
>> Presenting the possibilities
of plastics.
>> When they were running the
advertising on television,
they were not about how plastics
can be recycled, but all the
wonderful things that plastics
bring to us.
>> Plastics make it possible.
>> The fact that you now don't
have to worry about dropping a
shampoo bottle that was made out
of glass on the bathroom floor
because it's plastic.
And there's nothing wrong in an
industry promoting those kind of
things, but that's not
addressing the problem that
people are criticizing you
about.
>> SULLIVAN: And it worked?
>> And it worked.
>> SULLIVAN: (chuckles)
'Cause you went from 30%
favorability...
>> From, let's say mid-30s to
mid-60s.
>> SULLIVAN: Favorability.
>> Mm-hmm.
