CEO DATELINE - GM leaves Plastics Industry Association amid environmentalist campaign
CEO DATELINE - GM leaves Plastics Industry Association amid environmentalist campaign
- November 6, 2019 |
-
Walt Williams
Consider joining CEO Update. Membership gives full access to the latest intelligence on association management, career advancement, compensation trends and networking events, as well as hundreds of listings for senior-level association jobs.
General Motors confirmed Tuesday that it will not renew its membership in the Plastics Industry Association, making it the fourth large company to pull out of the group in recent months amid a pressure campaign from environmentalist groups.
Greenpeace issued a statement announcing GM's intention to leave the association. Plastics News confirmed the motor giant's decision, although the company did not state why it was exiting the trade group. GM follows Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and SC Johnson in announcing its intention to leave.
Greenpeace, The Sierra Club and other environmentalist groups have been urging companies to part ways with the Plastics Industry Association, which they accuse of hampering efforts to fight plastics pollution.
"The Plastic Industry Association's continued support for anti-democratic laws that take rights away from communities working to limit single-use plastics has left them with few members other than petrochemical companies," Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar said in a statement. He also called out the Florida Retail Federation and American Chemistry Council, saying the companies that support them "should not make the same mistake by continuing to push for laws that preempt plastic bans."
Plastics Industry Association CEO Tony Radoszewski has previously argued that the environmentalist campaign impedes efforts to reduce plastics pollution because his group is trying to bring different actors to the table to address the issue. He reiterated that argument in a statement to Plastics News.
"While these actions may make for successful fundraising tactics, the results are unfortunately counter-productive, by inhibiting our efforts to unite representatives from the full supply chain to work on meaningful advances such as advancing recycling innovations to modernizing infrastructure," he said. http://bit.ly/34HgsLv
MORE CEO DATELINE