World Intellectual Property Organization publishes new patent
ECHA reports on SVHC Roadmap progress
ECHA reviewed hundreds of Substances of Very High Concern in 2014
Implementation of EU circular economy plan
EU Commission evaluates implementation of its circular economy plan; all 54 actions outlined in 2015 ‘have now been delivered or are being implemented’
UN: ‘Beat plastic pollution’
New report by UN Environment reviews global state of plastic pollution and counteracting measures, provides policy recommendations to reduce single-use plastics and improve waste management
Migration tests for ceramics and crystal ware
EU reference laboratory for FCMs publishes final report on suitable test methods for measuring migration of metals from ceramics and glass to support revision of EU Ceramic Directive
Recycling of PET thermoforms
Petcore Europe updates on recent challenges in recycling PET thermoforms; collection and sorting of PET packaging need improvement; packaging design is key for recycling
Recent conferences on plastics recycling
Series of recent conferences on both continents focus on discussing challenges and opportunities surrounding plastics recycling, increasing recycled content in products; group of NGOs criticize Circular Plastics Alliance for overlooking hazardous chemicals; predicted lower prices of virgin PET seen as future test of commitment to set sustainability targets
REACH data insufficient to classify carcinogens and mutagens
RIVM scientists find data required by REACH to be insufficient for classifying category 1B carcinogens and mutagens according to criteria set by Classification, Labeling and Packaging legislation
JRC and EFSA reinforce collaboration
EU Joint Research Centre and EFSA hold workshop to discuss ongoing and future collaborations; common topics of interest include chemical mixtures, endocrine disruptors, and risk/hazard assessment of food-relevant chemicals
Phthalates may increase risk of miscarriage
New study finds association between exposure to phthalates (DEP, DiBP, DnBP) and risk of pregnancy loss