Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic publish results from voluntary plastic waste audit of nearly 100,000 UK homes; finds UK households throw away nearly 100 billion pieces of plastic a year, 83% of which is from food and drinks; waste organizations within the country ask for stronger policies and more clarity on existing goals
Testing for developmental neurotoxicity
Special issue of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology features 18 articles discussing alternative (non-animal) methods for assessing chemicals’ potential to harm neurodevelopment in children
UK to “overhaul” its waste system
UK government announces plans to make major changes to waste system; considers introducing extended producer responsibility, plastic tax, defined materials for recycling, deposit return scheme
Ukraine aligns with EU packaging and chemical regulations
Ukraine moving to align chemical and packaging regulations with EU standards; proposes regulations to align with Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP), and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations; World Trade Organization notifications open for comment until June 19 and July 4, 2023, respectively
Ukraine aligning FCM regulations with EU
Ukraine’s Ministry of Health notifies World Trade Organization of a draft restriction on vinyl chloride in contact with food; restriction aligns with a 1978 European Council declaration on vinyl chloride in food contact materials (FCMs); ministry announces other alignments including on migration of lead and cadmium from ceramic FCMs
UK to stick with EU FCM legislation
UK will adopt EU FCM framework regulation and material-specific regulations after leaving EU; situation for non-harmonized FCMs under debate
UK recognizes importance of grouping PFAS
UK environmental minister identifies the need to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a group, included in response to a letter sent earlier by civil society organizations to UK agencies calling for PFAS restrictions in food packaging
UK keeps FCM legislation in no-deal Brexit
United Kingdom’s Parliament passes legislation to regulate food contact materials in case no deal is reached with the EU; copies current EU legislation with potential future trade impacts if EU laws further develop
UK plastics pact
UK WRAP alliance and Ellen MacArthur Foundation launch UK Plastics Pact uniting national stakeholders; platform part of international initiative The Plastics Pact aiming to accelerate transition towards new plastics economy
UK Plastics Pact 2025 roadmap
UK’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) publishes UK Plastics Pact roadmap to 2025, outlines key actions to take to tackle plastic pollution