GPCA responds to California's rejection of plastic bag ban proposal

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Reaffirms Claim that Plastic Bags Are Not a Major Source of Pollution, Says GPCAGPCA Secretary General
Dubai, UAE - September 5^th, 2010 - In a move that holds a lot of significances after contentious debate, California lawmakers rejected a bill to ban all plastic shopping bags, a decision that has been hailed by regional industry spokespeople.

A majority of legislators opposed the bill, stating that plastic bags are not a major source of pollution and the bill would have added an extra financial burden on consumers and businesses already facing tough times.

Mr. Keith Christman of the American Chemistry Council said, "More than 500 organizations and companies were against the ban. Groups were concerned about the cost the ban on plastic bags would put on working families, specifically $1 billion per year to buy paper bags Nationwide since 2005."

It is important to mention that the state of California is the strictest of all 50 states when it comes to environmental regulations, to the point where the state of California has six Boards, Departments and Offices that make-up the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA). Cal/EPA has legislative authority to protect public health and safety, to restore and enhance our environment thus ensuring that California enjoys a clean, safe and healthy environment.

Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals AssociationGulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association

GPCAGPCA

According to Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary general, GPCAGPCA, "This position supports and reiterates the argument made repeatedly by the GPCA, in response to a regional and local campaign targeting the ban of plastic bags. In fact this very subject was extensively debated at the recent GPCAGPCA Plastic Summit held in Dubai and attended by top Plastics producers and environmental officials from all over the world."

"The anti-plastic bag issue is continually taken up by regional newspapers and websites without original citations and sadly many people have now come to assume that these are facts. The fact is that plastic bags take up only 1/7 the space in landfills, and consume less renewable and non-renewable resources during their life cycle. The fact is plastic grocery bags are an extremely resource-efficient disposable bag choice. Plastic grocery bags require 70% less energy to manufacture than paper bags, and produce half the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the process. We strongly believe that plastic bags should be re-used in the Gulf region as much as possible and should be turned into energy after their useful life and not be left in the environment. he added.

According to a study by Moore Recycling Associates Inc, the recycling of plastic bags and plastic wraps in the United States has grown by 28 percent over the past 5 years. It is also estimated that the plastic bag manufacturing and recycling industries directly employ between 8,000 and 15,000 people in the United States, and this figure is expected to grow rapidly in the near future, adding to the pro-plastic bag argument.

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Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCAGPCA) is the first such association to represent the interests of the industry in the Middle East and it has brought a major dimension to its task by creating both a forum for discussion and a place where likeminded people can meet and share concepts and ideas. Since its inception in March 2006, the GPCAGPCA has earned the enviable reputation for steering the regional industry towards a whole new level of co-operation and raising the standard in terms of common ground interests.

As the regions' Petrochemicals and Chemicals Industry's most respected representative body, GPCAGPCA will continue its efforts to enhance the role of the region in international debate and policy making while always ensuring that its doors are always open to its members and it acts as a catalyst for focusing attention on matters on issues relevant to the industry.

GPCAGPCA's mission is singular and specific in that it intends to support the growth and sustainable development of the petrochemical and chemical industries in the Gulf in partnership with its members and stakeholders and be both a sounding board and a meeting point for debate and discussion. Additional information is available at www.gpca.org.ae

For more information, please contact:
GPCA
Mohannad Al Alami
Communication and Promotions Manager
Tel: +9714 3217444
E-mail: mohannad@gpca.org.ae

© Press Release 2010