Anyway, according to this source of information, 19.3 million tons of plastic waste is generated every year by America. It says that this is one fourth of the volume of all of America's waste.

It also says that only 2 percent of all plastic is recycled, but one third of PET plastic is recycled. PET plastic is the kind in your Pepsi or Coke bottles. Why do you think this is?

It also says that of the 7 main types of plastic used by consumers, PET and HDPE are the ones that are mostly recycled. HDPE is what milk and juice jugs and a lot of shampoo and lotion bottles are made out of. It is also what P.E.E.L. bottles are made from.

So, what does this mean to us? (Pause, look upward, and scratch head).

I think the reason that more of PET and HDPE plastics are recycled is that crazy capitalists have figured out a hidden profit. These types of plastic can be turned into the stuff that fills your quilt and makes it fluffy, or neat carpeting for your floor, or even plastic lumber.

I am told over and over, I guess because I am dense, that it costs manufacturers more to recycle plastic than to purchase new plastic. Therefore, we will never be able to persuade enough people to recycle, because not enough people will buy it.

????I don't get it. If one third of all PET plastic is being turned into carpet, and clothing, and lumber etc. etc., who is paying for the loss of profits? We are talking one third of all those Coke and Pepsi bottles! I have seen plastic lumber, and it is reasonably priced. I have seen carpeting made from pop bottles, and it is reasonably priced. I have seen clothing made from pop bottles, and by George, it is also reasonably priced.

So, if these products are reasonably priced, either the material used to make the products is purchased at a price that allows a profit, or the products are being sold for less than their cost and someone is replacing the lost profits.

Well, we have heard of crazy things, like the government paying farmers to throw away their crops. But I don't think this is the case here. I believe that someone has discovered a way to CAPITALIZE on our waste.

Is this bad? I don't think so. If not, then the other one third of the PET plastic would also be going to landfills. This report also says that it takes 50% less energy to recycle plastic than to make new plastic. Who is kidding who here?

EXAMPLE OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND. Chris and Carry Conserve, (3rd cousins twice removed of Connie Conserve in a previous story), were smart cookies. Chris and Carry were quite the conservers. They were so conservative with recycling and preserving, they were even called nasty names sometimes. (Tree hugger, etc.) But Chris and Carry were quite comfortable financially from all of their conserving, and for some weird reason, they thought "tree hugger" was a compliment. Therefore, they continued with their way of life.

Now, Chris and Carry believe in conserving, and not just for the financial rewards available, but because they care about our Earth. So please do not think that Chris and Carry are bad people just because they are smart enough to put the money they save while conserving, into good investments.

Chris and Carry decided to add a sun deck to their home, and to re-carpet the recreational room to which the deck was attached. Calling John at First Lumber company, they asked for lumber made from pop bottles and lotion bottles. They had it. But it was very expensive. John wanted to sucker those nuts that would want to save landfills and trees, assuming they were an easy mark. So Chris and Carry called the next lumber store, and then the next. Finally they called Burt and Ernie's Home Store that was selling it for very competitive prices and placed an order.

Next they called Mary at the First Carpet store and asked for carpeting made from Pepsi and Coke bottles, and even a few P.E.E.L. bottles, (not many since we use so few). Since it was the newest fad, the store had it in stock, but hoping to exploit the generosity of "tree huggers," they had it at a premium price.

Chris and Carry, the tightwads they are, said no and called the next store. Finally they again called Burt and Ernie's Home Store. Burt and Ernie not only had it in stock, but it was competitive in price to the non-pop bottle carpeting. Chris and Carry asked for carpet samples and assured an order.

That evening, Burt and Ernie stopped off at the local pub on the way home for a game of darts, and bumped into Mary and John. After a time the conversation turned to new products, and the hot topic was pop bottle lumber and carpet. Mary and John were very excited about it, because they had it marked up for a very nice profit. They were sure that a new fad was coming and they were going to take advantage of it. Of course, they had not sold much yet, but hopes were high.

Burt and Ernie were not so sure about a fad, but agreed that it was a good product. And that is about all that Burt and Ernie said, because they were selling a lot of the pop bottle lumber and carpet. But why let Mary and John find out that if they lowered their prices, they could sell a lot now? After all, they are the competition.

John and Mary, are making plans for all that money they will make when all those "tree hugger saps" come running in to buy from them. However, Burt and Ernie continue to sell the pop bottle lumber and carpet at reasonable prices, with a similar profit margin to the other products. But a whole lot of a little, is more than a little of nothing.

Because of this smart way of doing business, Burt and Ernie are swamped with requests for franchises of their world renown "Burt and Ernie's Home Store." And they are buying a lot of plastic lumber and carpet from their wholesalers, who in turn are demanding more and more from the manufacturers, who are in need of more pop bottles! And this is why one third of PET bottles are being recycled.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS: Don't be a sap, and you will help push forward the demand for products made from recycled material. As I have said before, do not let greedy people take advantage of your kind heart. Save the Earth, buy recycled, but be smart. Demand a bargain.

When you shop, look on the bottom of the plastic bottles for the letters, PETE or HDPE. These are the types of plastic mostly being used at this time for carpet and lumber sold by Burt and Ernie's Home Stores. More than likely, as soon as you drop that bottle into a recycle bin, Burt and Ernie's suppliers will be diving for it.

Oh, by the way, Burt and Ernie want me to remind you that they are fictional characters, however their spirit is not. Many merchants possess this spirit and attitude toward business. Look for them.

You can read all the chapters of "Tims Green Stories" by going to http://timshometownstories. com. Other stories written by Tim are at http://salessuccessmagazin e.com These stories are copyrighted by Timothy L. Drobnick Sr. 1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000. Any person using this article must publish it without modification and include authors bio and links.

About Author :
Timothy L Drobnick Sr has helped many people make money on the internet. Websites to visit for income opportunity are yobisc.com, http://virusfreespamfree.com< /a>, and http://myshoppingplace.net.