Scientists report most large companies commit to reducing plastic pollution but focus on recycling; extrusion of recycled materials and legacy compounds in recycled materials as safety challenge; some substances increase others decrease with the increase in recycled content in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles; tentatively identify 212 volatile chemicals in 57 different recycled PET flakes available in China; present migration model to characterize the exposure and risk of PET oligomers
December 23, 2022
Ways forward to improve polymer assessment and management
Critical review evaluates regulatory approaches of polymer assessment and management; identifies critical knowledge gaps by comparison with recent scientific findings; proposes policy options for safe and sustainable polymer use; suggest more transparency, standardized testing procedures, and improved understanding of environmental fate and hazards
December 14, 2022
Widespread presence of organophosphate esters in plastic and paper FCMs
Scientists perform suspect and non-target analysis of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in 100 food contact materials (FCMs) in Southern China; identify 28 OPEs of which 18 were identified for the first time; find organophosphate antioxidants as one OPE source
November 29, 2022
EU takes action against illegal bamboo tableware
21 European countries joined forces to identify illegal import, trade, and advertising of bamboo-containing plastics; 748 cases of plastic food contact materials identified on the EU market and at border controls
November 28, 2022
What should be included in UN Plastics Treaty negotiations?
International negotiators prepare for first meeting to negotiate the UN treaty to end plastic pollution; scientists, civil society organizations, and governmental bodies publish reports proposing suggestions for what and how to negotiate; many reports support including controls on chemical additives as part of the treaty
November 25, 2022
How to integrate chemical aspects into the global plastic treaty
Scientists share perspective that all chemicals in plastics need considering in the global plastic treaty also to not hamper technological solutions; recommend key elements to tackle plastic pollution problem holistically including less complexity, as well as more transparency and incentives
November 21, 2022
Value and struggles of the material production sector reducing emissions
Zero Waste Europe and Eunomia publish report on the ability of aluminum, concrete, steel, and plastics industries to meet global carbon budgets; current efforts and plans are unlikely to be sufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C; call for urgent actions to reduce material use
November 10, 2022
Corporate plastic commitments not expected to meet 2025 targets
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) reports progress, or lack thereof, on corporate packaging commitments set for 2025; plastic pact signatories increased portfolio of recycled, recyclable, or compostable products by 2% between 2019 and 2021; reuse decreased, and virgin plastic use increased; EMF calling for stronger governmental action and support of UN plastic pollution treaty
November 9, 2022
Stakeholders discuss waste management challenges of plastics
Publications from government, academia, civil society organizations, and consultancies paint problematic picture of a circular plastics economy; plastic packaging waste per person found to increase over last decade; low percentage of plastic produced is effectively recycled; pyrolysis (a type of chemical recycling) of plastics produces 9x more emissions than mechanical recycling; “biodegradable” and “compostable” plastics found to not break down in home compost systems
November 1, 2022
ASEAN member actions on plastic and chemical pollution
Nations in Southeast Asia collectively working on reducing plastic pollution and related chemical hazards; Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signs off on project to “combat” marine plastic; Thailand plans ban on plastic scrap imports; new research available on sources of plastic pollution in Indonesia and Vietnam; Vietnam and Singapore implementing stricter chemical regulations; extended producer responsibility for plastic waste becomes law in Philippines
