Junkmen Forever

With a squint at the Government's aluminum drive troubles and a hard look at the looming shortage in paper pulp, the U.S. boxboard industry last week was busy with its own drive.

The boxboard industry's chief raw material is wastepaper--old newspapers, discarded wrappings, magazines. Only 28% of the nation's paper is now recovered. About 50% is lost in furnaces and rubbish heaps. Last year the junkmen collected about 5,500,000 tons--about half 1942's needs. The defense bite alone (boxes for Army shells, etc.) is expected to take two-thirds of the industry's output.

Young (27), ruddy-faced Frank Block, St. Louis adman, last June began thinking about a national wastepaper drive. The plan called for the use of regular collection channels (i.e., junkmen), and payment by the industry of all expenses.

Alton (Ill.) Boxboard Co. decided to try the idea to the tune of a $25,000 advertising budget. Their St. Louis test campaign upped collections 25%. With these results to back him up, Block soon sold the industry on the scheme.

By last week, the campaign was under way in 33 cities. The industry had put up $675,000 for advertising. In the New York area, where nine radio stations were on the job, housewives are asked to call for the junkman by telephone, "Get cash for your trash."

To make it more worth the junkman's while, Block's campaign is also aimed at scrap metal and rags. Last week OPM's Conservation Division called 80 scrap dealers to Washington, told them OPM would soon start a national campaign to increase their collection of all kinds of scrap by 20%.

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