The demise of single-use plastic bags began at their start, shortly after being invented in the 1950s. The public's disdain for things "plastic" -- especially bags -- is due to shameful and short-term industry "leadership" without care or concern for any long-term and science-based support. This slideshow was delivered in 1998 as a warning to the Plastic Bag Association at its Annual Meeting, when that group was being merged into the Society of the Plastics Industry. The warning was ignored. Today's news tells the results. Written and presented by George Makrauer, president of Comad Group, www.comad.com.
42. More GFWC Stuff. Margaret Englund toured the U.S. All expenses were paid by API.
43. API created the “Pro-Environment Packaging Council” (PEPCO). PEPCO ran TV ads with dancing paper grocery bags and heavily promoted biodegradability.
44. PEPCO sent smiling representatives to PBA’s semi-annual meeting to deny any relationship with API and denied bashing plastic bags. PEPCO representatives were soundly booed.
104. "I greatly admire the work of this organization. No group has had a larger impact on the thinking Americans bring to the environment; on the way we, as a nation, converse about the problems that beset the environment." -- Vice President Al Gore, September 23, 1993
105. “ The Earth Communications Office (ECO) is a non-profit environmental organization whose goal is to use the power of communications to help improve the global environment. ECO Public Service Announcements in theaters have been seen by over one hundred million people in 20,000 of the 24,000 movie theaters in the United States. Theater owners and managers have submitted astounding reports of their audiences breaking into cheers and applause at the end of our brief PSA's. ”
106. Germany’s Green leader Joschka Fischer (left) and Socialist Democrat leader Gerhard Schröder formed a coalition, and Fischer became Germany’s first Green government minister. “ Germany’s Red & Green Government”
107. What influence will that impact have on plastic bags made in the US? The Green influence in Germany will increasingly spread across the European Economic Community, and it will influence environmental pressures in the U.S. ISO-14000 will institutionalize pressures.
117. “ Our local grocery store does not use paper bags. They use plastic bags. So we are putting messages in the bags. So that we don't waste good paper, we are putting messages on recycled paper.”