First GPCA Plastics Summit gathers key players in the global plastics industry

The first GPCA Plastics Summit is scheduled to take place on 14-16 June 2010 at the Grand Hyatt, in Dubai. Organised by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) and Chemical Week, the summit aims to gather key decision makers, players, and stake holders in the petrochemicals and plastics processing industry to discuss issues affecting the entire plastics supply chain. It will also address issues on the Middle East and its role in the current drive towards sustainable growth through socially responsible initiatives. Some of the speakers are: Moayyed I. Al Qurtas, Chairman of Plastics Committee, GPCA: Vice Chairman and CEO, TASNEE; Michael Braungart, founder of the concept and co-author of Cradle to Cradle; Hugo Verlomme, environmentalist and author of The Plastic Bag War; Ray Hammond, Futurist; Khaled Al Mana, Vice President Polymers, SABIC; Javier Echevarria, Associate Director/Global Packaging and Hygiene Purchasing, Procter & Gamble; Manfred Klepacz, CEO, Al Rajhi Holding Group, and more. The role of the plastics industry in the Gulf region will be stressed at this event. Earlier, the GPCA announced the results of the 2009 Plastics Image Survey conducted in six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It was found that the people in the Gulf have a strongly favourable attitude to the plastic industry as well as plastic products, and the anti-plastics sentiment is mostly about litter. The industry association acknowledged that the issue of litter deserves greater attention, but the solution to the problem is disposal in a responsible way and more focus on Reuse, Recycle and Recovery (of the energy embedded in those products). The GPCA Plastics Image Survey was conducted in mid-2009 among a target group of literate adult public in urban agglomerates, in the age group of 16 to 60 years in Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. With 389 respondent options and 7,036 respondents, the survey included more than 2.7 million measurement points. Germany's consultancy firm, Requista, conducted the survey. In comparing the public's perception of and attitude towards plastics industry and plastic products against other industries and products, the survey found that the respondents had spontaneous knowledge of plastics and its diverse positive applications in modern life. Hence, the plastics industry and its products fared well in comparison with other industries and products. Findings also supported strong public acceptance of plastics as essential for packaging for food storage and safety and its use in diverse applications in kitchen appliances, IT, medical and personal care, baby products, automobiles, buildings and others. www.gpcaplastics.com, www.gpca.org.aeNike Air Max Lebron