Jatco Inc.
Jatco, Inc., located in Union City, Calif., has been deeply involved in preventing a ban on polystyrene foam food packaging in their community. Even though the injection molding company would not be directly impacted by the ban, President Paul Appelblom chose to get involved after hearing about it in May. Jatco and other SPI member companies Delta Pacific Products, Emerald Packaging and Dart Container Corporation joined SPI and ACC's coordinated grassroots efforts. Through letter writing campaigns, meetings with members of Union City's Planning Commission and City Council and testimony at two council meetings, the ban was effectively blocked.
The turning point occurred at a city council meeting when Appelblom illustrated Jatco's model industrial recycling program and stated, "The true route to sustainability is through recycling-not product bans." At the beginning of 2008, Jatco developed an internal recycling program that cut their volume of waste sent to the landfill to one third; reducing their garbage collection costs by several thousand dollars a month. Impressed with Jatco's program, the City Council expressed interest in meeting with key plastics industry stakeholders to discuss opportunities for recycling and waste diversion programs. The Union City Green Committee was formed. Jatco and Timbron, a baseboard manufacturer who uses recycled EPS foam, are on the Committee along with members of the city's Planning Commission and Council, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and two waste companies.
From April 2008 to August 2008, Jatco has recycled 304,568 pounds, earning $19,718 for their employee benefit fund. Today, Jatco uses only one small trash bin for its entire facility and has recycling bins located throughout the plant. Everyone is responsible for their own recycling.
"A true win for everybody. The company saves on waste removal costs, our employees benefit from the recycling funds collected and the environment wins too," said Appelblom in summing up Jatco's program.
