It was the late 1980s, and the plastics industry was under fire as concern mounted about ever-increasing amounts of garbage. But the industry had a plan -- a way to fend off plastic bans and keep its sales growing. Subscribe on YouTube: bit.ly/1BycsJW It would publicly promote recycling as the solution to the waste crisis — despite internal industry doubts, from almost the beginning, that widespread plastic recycling could ever be economically viable. In this excerpt from "Plastic Wars," Ronald Liesemer, a former DuPont manager, describes being tapped to execute the industry’s recycling push — and how by demonstrating a commitment to recycling, the industry was able to successfully pre-empt nascent plastic bans. Watch "Plastic Wars," a joint investigation from FRONTLINE and NPR, starting Mar. 31: to.pbs.org/2UtRWv5 Instagram: www.instagram.com/frontlinepbs Twitter: twitter.com/frontlinepbs Facebook: www.facebook.com/frontline FRONTLINE is streaming more than 200 documentaries online, for free, here: to.pbs.org/hxRvQP Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation, the Park Foundation, The John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation.

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