Offer Update

Macfarlane Group PLC
15 December 2000

                                PRESS RELEASE


  NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES,

             CANADA, AUSTRALIA, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND OR JAPAN


15 December 2000

                            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




MACFARLANE GROUP INCREASED FINAL* CASH OFFER FOR BRITISH POLYTHENE INDUSTRIES
                                     PLC


Support for Macfarlane's Increased Final Cash Offer


The board of Macfarlane announces that Macfarlane now owns or has received
acceptances in respect of 11,691,015 BPI shares representing approximately
31.7 per cent. of the issued share capital of BPI. Macfarlane owns 4,872,398
BPI shares (representing approximately 13.2 per cent. of the issued share
capital of BPI). As at 3.00 pm on Thursday 14 December Macfarlane had secured
valid acceptances in respect of 6,818,617 BPI shares (representing
approximately 18.5 per cent. of the issued share capital of BPI).

Macfarlane urges all BPI shareholders now to accept its Increased Final Offer
of 310 pence for every BPI share.

This announcement should be read in conjunction with the Original Offer
Document, the document sent to BPI shareholders on 2 November 2000, the
Increased Final Offer Document, the letters sent to BPI shareholders on 8
December 2000 and 12 December 2000, and the Revised Form of Acceptance.
Definitions contained in these documents apply in this announcement save where
the context requires otherwise.

*   Macfarlane reserves the right to revise and/or increase and/or extend the
    Increased Final Offer in the event of a competitive situation (as
    determined by the Panel) arising or otherwise with the consent of the
    Panel.

        Enquiries:

Macfarlane Group PLC                              0141 333 9666
Iain Duffin

Noble Grossart Limited                            0131 226 7011
Sir Angus Grossart
Todd Nugent

HSBC                                              020 7336 9000
John Hannaford

Bell Pottinger                                    020 7353 9203
David Rydell
Kate Power

Beattie Media                                     01698 787878
Gordon Beattie


Copies of the Original Offer Document, the document sent to BPI shareholders
on 2 November 2000, the Increased Final Offer Document, the lettesr sent to
BPI shareholders on 8 December 2000 and 12 December 2000, and the Revised Form
of Acceptance are available free of charge from Lloyds TSB Registrars,
Antholin House, 71 Queen Street, London EC4N 1SL (telephone [phone]).


The directors of Macfarlane (whose names are set out in paragraph 2 of part 7
of the Original Offer Document) accept responsibility for the information
contained in this announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the
directors of Macfarlane (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that
such is the case), the information contained in this announcement is in
accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the
import of such information.


Noble Grossart, which is regulated in the UK by The Securities and Futures
Authority Limited, is acting for Macfarlane and no one else in connection with
the Increased Final Offer, and will not be responsible to anyone other than
Macfarlane for providing the protections afforded to customers of Noble
Grossart, or for providing advice in relation to the Increased Final Offer.
The contents of this announcement have been approved by Noble Grossart for the
purpose only of Section 57 of the Financial Services Act 1986.