News Release

American Chemistry Council Launches Progressive Bag Affiliates

New Group Will Benefit from Organized Advocacy Network,
Enhanced Industry Coordination

ARLINGTON, VA (January 4, 2008) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) announced today the formation and launch of a new group called the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council.  The new group is part of ACC’s Plastics Division and brings together manufacturers of plastic bags, the former members of the Progressive Bag Alliance and plastic resin manufacturers to promote the environmentally responsible use of plastic bags, including increasing in-store recycling programs at grocers and retailers.  This new group will better enable the plastics industry to advance plastic bag recycling, to speak with a strong, unified voice and to enhance coalition advocacy efforts.

ACC President and CEO Jack Gerard welcomed the Progressive Bag Affiliates stating, “This new relationship builds on several recent and exciting developments in ACC’s Plastics Division, including our recent campaign to increase recycling in California, and demonstrates our commitment to building a unified and world class advocacy and communications program for plastics.”

“Although plastic bags use less energy and produce less greenhouse gas emissions than alternatives, they are under attack,” Gerard said.  “Misguided efforts to ban plastic bags in some cities as well as ill-informed media reports clearly demonstrate the need to educate policy makers and the public about the environmental benefits of plastic bags and to promote recycling.  Joining together with bag manufacturers we are now better suited to give stakeholders and legislators the information they need to make important decisions.” 

Isaac Bazbaz, director of Superbag Corporation and chairman of the former Progressive Bag Alliance, said, “The ACC has an extensive network around the nation and we need better reach to advocate effectively for our industry.  Forming the Progressive Bag Affiliates gives us the resources we need to accomplish our objectives of increasing plastic bag recycling and preventing unwarranted policy approaches such as bans. The creation of the new Progressive Bag Affiliates will help to ensure that interested parties are integrally involved in the work necessary to achieve our goals.”

The former Progressive Bag Alliance and the ACC coordinated advocacy activities more closely in 2007.  The groups have cooperated on a number of advocacy campaigns to promote recycling and other environmentally sound initiatives as alternatives to proposed plastic bag bans.  The groups’ recent cooperation in New York City and their work with retailers and local government officials is likely to result in the largest plastic bag recycling initiative deployed in any major metro city.