More than 110,000 UK citizens sign petition asking government to create UK version of EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive and effectively ban single use plastics; UK was included in the EU directive prior to Brexit
February 16, 2022
How much styrene is contained in packaged food: A scientific review
Systematic literature review identifies eight studies analyzing styrene levels in food; reports average level of 91.53 µg styrene/kg food; highlights knowledge gaps on other foodstuff besides dairy products
February 15, 2022
WWF: marine plastic pollution irreversible, strategies needed beyond recycling
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) publishes principles for chemical recycling to avoid harming human health or goals for circular economy; should not compete with mechanical recycling, need transparency about resource consumption; prioritize reduction, reuse over recycling; WWF and Alfred Wegener Institute report on plastics’ impacts on oceans; plastic contamination is permanent; at least 2144 species affected, 99.8% of seabird species will eat plastics by 2050
February 15, 2022
US and France release statement supporting UN plastics treaty
At the One Ocean Summit on February 10, the United States and France delivered a joint statement supporting a global plastics treaty; agree treaty should address whole lifecycle of plastics and include binding commitments
February 9, 2022
Multi-criteria framework to prioritize polymers of concern
Scientists develop holistic conceptual framework to characterize and rank the environmental risks of plastic polymers; tool can support targeted investment and mitigation strategies
February 8, 2022
Hundreds of chemicals migrate from reusable plastic bottles
Scientific study compares chemicals migrating from new plastic sport bottles and bottles after dishwashing and one year in use; detects over 400 plastic-related compounds including oligomers and aromatic amines; finds dishwashing to increase migration
February 4, 2022
US Plastics Pact publishes list of unnecessary materials
US Plastics Pact, whose signatories produce 33% of packaging in the US by weight, publishes list of eleven plastic food packaging materials and food contact chemicals that are “problematic and unnecessary”; includes cutlery, polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PFAS, and carbon black
January 26, 2022
Peer-reviewed study finds chemicals in plastics induce adipogenesis
Researchers analyze plastic extracts for their chemical composition and promotion of obesity; find one-third induce fat production (adipogenesis); detect several thousand chemicals in the extracts, including known metabolism-disrupting chemicals
January 26, 2022
WSJ: attitudes towards single-use plastic changing in home kitchens
Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article discusses changing attitudes towards plastic in home kitchens; outlines the relatively recent history of plastic in the kitchen and recent cultural shifts towards using more reusable materials for storing and transporting food; FPF compares different reusable options, consumers encouraged to not forget about chemical migration and impacts on human health
January 25, 2022
Public consultation on bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics
European Commission (EC) opens a public comment period on biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics; consultation will advise EC during development of new policies for these plastics; three areas of particular focus: sustainability of feedstocks, verification of biodegradation claims, and “widespread confusion” among consumers on terms and proper disposal routes; comment period open until March 15, 2022
