Progressive Bag Affiliates (PBA)

	news and highlights Act Now to Stop California’s Proposed Ban on Plastic Bags! Opinion: $20 Billion in Debt, 12% Jobless, No Budget—and We Ban Grocery Bags? [Capitol Weekly, 7/29/2010] YouTube—Recycling Plastic Bags for Greenwala New Report Shows "Dramatic Increase" in Curbside Recycling of Plastic Bags and Film in Los Angeles Plastic Bag Facts—Sure plastic bags are convenient. Did you know they're an environmentally responsible choice, too? Find out why at plasticbagfacts.org.

Excellence in Manufacturing Practices. Environmental Leadership. Sound Public Policy.

The Progressive Bag Affiliates (PBA) of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) creates positive change in our communities by promoting the increased recycling of plastic bags as well as their proper use, reuse and disposal. We recognize that more can be done to address environmental concerns. We work to create solutions to reduce the number of plastic bags that end up in our landfills and, sometimes, as litter. Together with policy makers, businesses and community members, PBA is dedicated to implementing new ideas and improving existing programs that make a difference.

Contact Us

For information about the PBA, please contact us at pba@americanchemistry.com.

Mission

The Progressive Bag Affiliates promotes the responsible use, reuse, recycling and disposal of plastic bags.

Making a Difference: Areas of Focus

ACC’s Progressive Bag Affiliates focuses on a variety of topics to find solutions to community issues related to plastic bag use. Some current areas of focus for the PBA are listed below:

• City proposals that could impact consumers’ use of plastic bags
• Increasing recycling opportunities (See our website plasticbagrecycling.org)
• Litter prevention
• Increasing bag reuse
• Correcting misperceptions concerning litter and waste

Members

PBA’s members include leading manufacturers of plastic bags and polyethylene resins:

• Advance Polybag, Inc.
• The Dow Chemical Company
• ExxonMobil Corporation
• Hilex Poly Co., LLC. (See also: TheTruthAboutPlasticBags.com)
• NOVA Chemicals, Inc.
• Superbag Corporation
• Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc.
• Unistar Plastics, LLC

Learn More

Information Sheets

• Info Sheet on Plastic Bags and Wraps (download pdf)
• Plastic Bag FAQs (download pdf)
• Diagram of the Plastic Bag Recycling Process (download pdf)
• Bag Tax Fact Sheet (download pdf)
• Myths Behind Plastic Bag Bans (download pdf) 
• Info Sheet on Plastic Bags (download pdf) 
• Reusing and Recycling Plastic Bags - Tips for Consumers (download pdf) 
• Advertorial: Plastics or Paper - Why Plastic Bags are Better [Reader's Digest, 7/2008]
• Poll: California Voters Oppose $.25 Bag Tax

Reports

• The City of San Francisco Streets Litter Re-Audit (2008)
• A Qualitative Study of Grocery Bags in San Francisco (Use Less Stuff, 11/2008)
  The editor of the Use Less Stuff Report travels to San Francisco to observe the effects of an ordinance passed in 2007 to ban the use of plastic carryout bags. Twenty-five stores were visited with an eye toward the types of bags used and effects on recycling.
• 2008 National Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Bag and Film Report
  The 2008 National Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Bag and Film Report is the fourth annual U.S. report on pounds of plastic bags and film recovered for recycling. The report includes data gathered from both domestic and export post-consumer plastic film markets.   Research for this report was conducted by Moore Recycling Associates, Inc. of Sonoma, CA for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
• Life Cycle Assessment Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Plastic Bags and Alternatives
• The ULS Report: Review of Life Cycle Data Relating to Disposable, Compostable, Biodegradable, and Reusable Grocery Bags

News Releases

• California Assembly Votes for Billion Dollar Consumer "Tax" on Bags [6/2/2010]
• Stop the $1 Billion Bag Tax [6/2/2010]
• Plastics Industry Testifies in Support of New York City Recycling Program Expansion [4/27/2010]
• Plastic Bag Makers Kick Off Series of Plastic Bag Recycling Events to Celebrate Earth Month [4/12/2010]
• New National Report Shows Plastic Bag Recycling Reaches Record High [3/16/2010]