Launch of the World Plastics Council

A voice for the global plastics industry

Düsseldorf, 22 October 2013: Top executives from plastics resin producers gathered during the 2013 K Fair, the world largest plastics industry exhibition, to discuss whether to establish a new  World Plastics Council.

At the meeting participants agreed to launch the World Plastics Council, to be the voice of global plastics manufacturers and to facilitate a united approach to address global opportunities and issues facing the industry.

Initiated by PlasticsEurope and the American Chemical Council (ACC) Plastics Division, the meeting brought together some 50 industry leaders from all parts of the world, including China, Korea, Japan, India, Thailand, the Middle East, North and South America and Europe.

Patrick Thomas, CEO of Bayer MaterialScience and President of PlasticsEurope, has been nominated to initially chair the newly founded organisation. Thomas expressed his hopes for the organization saying: “The success of any global initiative requires the participation of the largest and most influential industry members in the organisation, hence it is encouraging to see that 80% of the world’s leading plastics producers came together and fully support the launch of a World Plastics Council. I believe we have started a forum that will benefit both the industry and society in the future.”

He added that he would like the Council to be a platform for the world’s plastic producers to discuss ways to collaborate and work together in order to address the needs of stakeholders and to further advance the interests of the industry.