Marks & Spencer has already said it will send PET waste from its London stores to the plant

 

Plastics sector hits back at cancer charity's BPA campaign

Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 02 December 2009

 

The British Plastics Federation has again been forced to defend the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in consumer products after a cancer charity launched a campaign to ban its use in babies' bottles.

 

Breast Cancer UK this week called on the government to instigate a ban on the use of BPA citing "clear and compelling scientific evidence" that even low-level exposure could lead to increased risk of breast cancer and other chronic conditions.

 

But the BPF said the campaign was misleading and sought to reassure the public that using the controversial chemical was safe. Philip Law, BPF public and industrial affairs director, said products using BPA had made a significant contribution to everyday life for the past 50 years.

 

"BPA is one of the most widely studied compounds in the world," he said. "Consumer products made with BPA are safe for their intended uses and pose no known risks to human health. This is confirmed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other regulatory bodies," he said.

 

Breast Cancer UK also cites a YouGov survey that showed 79% of people wanted the government to act on this issue.

 

Clare Dimmer, Chair of Trustees at Breast Cancer UK, said: "Most parents don't have a degree in chemistry or biology. Do we really expect them to weigh up the evidence in the latest scientific journals on the risks of exposure to a chemical that manufacturers won't even label on their products?

 

"It should be very simple, if there is serious scientific evidence that a chemical in baby bottles could increase the risk of life-limiting illness, it shouldn't be used. It is time government stepped in to ban the bottle."

 

BPA is a key building block in a number of plastics but debate over its safety for human consumption has been raging for a number of years.