Society of the Plastics Industry Launches $10 Million PR Plan to Defend BPA
Published: 27 August 2009
Category: Bisphenol A (BPA), Cancer, Packaging CONCERNS, Reproductive/Hormonal Changes
The “Milwaukee Journal Sentinel” reports the president of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Bill Carteaux, is “at war against mounting momentum to ban bisphenol A, a key ingredient in hard, clear plastic products.” The plastics industry has reportedly launched an unprecedented $10 million public relations blitz that uses many of the same tactics - and people - the tobacco industry used in its decades-long fight against regulation. A four-month investigation by the Journal Sentinel reveals a highly calibrated campaign by plastics makers to fight federal regulation of BPA, downplay its risks and discredit anyone who characterizes the chemical as a health threat. Studies have linked BPA to breast cancer, testicular cancer, reproductive deformities and neurological defects.