BASF sponsors PlastiVan visits to area schools
Traveling exhibit teaches students the chemistry of plastics and makes science fun

GEISMAR, La., November 10, 2003 -- The PlastiVan™ will be stopping at area schools this week to give more than 600 students a "hands-on" experience in the chemistry of plastics. The visits are being sponsored by BASF.

PlastiVan is an internationally recognized education program that travels throughout the United States each year teaching students, educators and the public about the chemistry, history, manufacturing and environmental issues involved with making plastics. It will be visiting students at Galvez Middle School, Gonzales Middle School and Dutchtown Middle School.

"The PlastiVan program is a great way for us to partner with local schools to help make science education better for students in our community," said Otis Hall, Vice President and General Manager of BASF's Geismar site. "We are proud of these partnerships because they make children aware of how the products made by companies in our area are a big part of their daily lives."

The PlastiVan program will give area students the opportunity to be part of "hands-on" experiments designed to show them how plastic products they encounter are made and how they work. The program is provided through the National Plastics Center & Museum in Leominster, Mass.

Experiments include "The Chemistry of the Disposable Diaper," making "slime" using liquid polymers and a laundry detergent, and sticking a wooden skewer through a balloon without bursting it.

With over 1,000 workers, BASF's Geismar site is one of the area's largest employers. The facility manufactures a wide range of products that are used in hundreds of consumer products.

BASF: Helping Make Products Better™
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company, offering its customers a range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as crude oil and natural gas. Its distinctive approach to integration, known in German as “Verbund,” is its strength. It enables BASF to achieve cost leadership and gives the company a competitive advantage. BASF conducts its business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2002, BASF had sales of $34 billion and more than 89,000 employees worldwide. BASF Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. In North America, 2002 sales were approximately $8.2 billion and the company employs approximately 12,000 people. For more information or to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

For more information, contact:
Jonathan Evans
BASF Corporation
Tel: (973) 426-4144
E-mail: evansn@basf.com