Investors with over $10 trillion in assets call for urgent action to reduce single-use plastic packaging in the fast-moving consumer goods and grocery retail sectors; cite environmental, climate, and public health threats posed by the entire plastics lifecycle; express concern over the financial risks to companies and investors
May 8, 2023
UNEP: Over 3000 chemicals of concern in plastics
Technical report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) informs about “chemical-related issues of plastic pollution and options to address them”; finds 13,000 chemicals present in plastic; 7,000 have hazard data of which 3,200 are chemicals of concern; outlines chemical groups, use sectors of concern, human and ecosystem exposure, gaps and improvement options including substitution and waste management in a circular economy
May 8, 2023
United States creating national plastic pollution strategy
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes draft national strategy to prevent plastic pollution; outlines goals to reduce pollution during plastic production, improve recycling/reuse, and remove microplastics from waterways
May 4, 2023
Canada working towards zero plastic waste
Canadian government plans to establish federal plastics registry and release regulatory framework for plastic packaging; aim to improve knowledge of plastic waste, value recovery, and pollution; measures are open for comment until May 18, 2023; NGO urges government to expand ban on non-recyclable plastic packaging and take further action.
May 3, 2023
Analyzing NIAS in harmonized and non-harmonized FCMs
International Life Sciences Institute Europe publishes document on analytical methods and challenges in identifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS); focus on non-harmonized food contact materials (FCMs) including silicones, inks, adhesives; discusses strengths and limitations of various methods; includes proposal on communication along the supply chain
March 13, 2023
Chemical characterization of post-consumer and recycled plastics
Scientists perform target and non-target screening of recycled plastics and provide recommendations on methods; detect >280 organic chemicals and metals in 21 plastic flakes and pellets used in recycling; analyze several recycled polymers and find polyethylene terephthalate (PET) the only one currently complying with European circular economy requirements; compare analytical methods to assess the chemical composition of recyclates giving their strenghts and limitations
March 9, 2023
OECD publishes workshop report on flexible food-grade plastic packaging
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) releases workshop report summarizing current challenges, policies, and potential approaches concerning the sustainable design of flexible food-grade packaging from a chemical perspective
March 2, 2023
EFSA CEP Panel updates from October 2022 to February 2023
Minutes available from recent meetings of the working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), and recycling plastics, within the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel); no further meeting of the BPA working group planned; specific migration limit (SML) for styrene in FCMs upcoming
February 7, 2023
Investment in fossil-based single-use plastics continues to grow
Minderoo Foundation publishes second Plastic Waste Makers Index; highlights top 20 companies responsible for producing the polymers to make single-use plastics; finds virgin plastic production increased 15 times more than recycled in two years; 1kg more single-use plastic produced per person on the planet; cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions from single-use plastics in 2021 roughly equivalent to that of the UK
January 17, 2023
Microplastics impacts on the reproductive system and offspring
Scientists report human-relevant polystyrene (PS) microplastic concentrations change mice placental metabolism; show nanoplastics have variable effects on placental enzymes using simulations; find pre- and postnatal PS microplastic exposure affects male mice testis development and fertility; recommend future research to analyze multigenerational effects
