Washington, DC – SC Johnson has informed Greenpeace USA that it has allowed its Plastics Industry Association membership to lapse. The company noted that it strongly believes governments should be able to democratically have bans if that is what citizens want. The move follows Coca-Cola and PepsiCo ending their memberships with the plastics lobbying group after pressure from customers. The Plastics Industry Association has used its front group, the American Progressive Bag Alliance, to push anti-democratic preemption bills meant to “ban plastic bans” and undermine statewide progress on plastic pollution.
Several groups, including Sierra Club, As You Sow, The Last Beach Cleanup, Boston Trust Walden, and Greenpeace USA, have applied pressure to SC Johnson and other companies to end their relationships with the Plastics Industry Association to better align with their expressed concerns around plastics. The association has worked closely with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to pass pro-pollution preemption laws around the country.
In response to the news that SC Johnson has ended its relationship with the lobbying group, Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar said:
“This should be a wakeup call for the plastics industry. SC Johnson, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo have all recognized that standing alongside a group working to strip away the rights of communities to reduce our reliance on dangerous plastics is not good for business. This trend will only continue as more companies move away from plastics and toward systems of refill and reuse. It’s time for industry to stop fighting people who are working for solutions, and either get on board or get out of the way.”
Timothy Smith, director of ESG shareowner engagement at Boston Trust Walden, said:
“The urgent need to drastically curtail plastic pollution is an issue that has captured the attention of the public, environmental organizations, and investors. It is vitally important for companies to assess their own public policy advocacy on plastic waste, as well as lobbying by trade associations in which they are members and pay dues. We congratulate SC Johnson for joining a growing list of companies which ended their membership in such plastics lobbying groups.”
Jan Dell, independent engineer and founder of The Last Beach Cleanup, said:
“Plastic bag pollution continues to cause significant local financial and ecosystem harms. Preventing communities from enacting proven solutions is not socially or environmentally responsible.”
###
Contact: Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 301-675-8766
