ACC to transition efforts to defend plastic bags, promote recycling of all plastic film to Plastics Industry Trade Assn. in 2012 to leverage national grassroots network

Alison Gallant

WASHINGTON , December 16, 2011 (press release) – Progressive Bag Affiliates to Transition to SPI in 2012 to Take Strategic Advantage of National Grassroots Network

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association (SPI) today announced an evolution in how the industry will defend plastic bags and promote the recycling of all plastic film—a category that includes plastic bags, product wraps and commercial packaging such as shrink wrap.

As efforts to ban or tax plastic bags become increasingly local, the Progressive Bag Affiliates (PBA), which includes America’s largest manufacturers of plastic bags, will transition from ACC to SPI. This move will become effective, January 1, 2012 and will allow PBA to leverage SPI’s national grassroots network. Upon completion of the transition, the group will be named the American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA).

SPI’s current alignment of Councils and Committees shares a strong “resin-to-product” focus with PBA, concentrating on issues of concern to manufacturers that produce end market goods for consumers and retailers. One such SPI group, the Flexible Film and Bag Division, represents the full scope of the plastic film sector (including bags, wraps and liners) and will enjoy obvious synergies with PBA.

At the same time, ACC will introduce a new Flexible Film Recycling Group comprised of resin suppliers, converters, brand owners and other value chain partners who use and/or recover flexible film packaging. Through SPI, PBA will continue to support expanded recycling efforts for plastic film as a member of ACC’s Flexible Film Recycling Group.

Together, these changes are expected to result in additional resources that will benefit this important sector of our industry.

“We are excited to welcome PBA into the SPI family,” said William R. Carteaux, President and CEO of SPI. “This sector of our industry continues to face extraordinary challenges, predominantly at the local level—exactly where the SPI grassroots network can make an impact. By aligning our approaches, SPI and ACC can better marshal and utilize our collective resources to defend this important sector and promote film recycling.”

“Thanks in part to ACC’s and PBA’s efforts to date and the growing number of at-store collection points for plastic film—now numbering over 12,000—opportunities to grow plastics film recycling have never been better,” said Steve Russell, Vice President of Plastics for the American Chemistry Council. “ACC’s new Flexible Film Recycling Group will focus on raising recycling rates for plastic film by overcoming barriers and strengthening partnerships throughout the value chain.”

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