Boston Globe reports on new survey, finds doctors do not routinely question pregnant patients about environmental exposures
Plastics policy in the UK needs clarity and reform
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
Global Food Contact Conference 2022: updates from the Americas
Smithers conference covers global developments in food contact regulations and materials; speakers on day one review recent and upcoming changes to food packaging regulations in the US, Canada, and the South American trade bloc Mercosur
Roadmap for EU FCM policy revision
EU Commission’s DG SANTE publishes Inception Impact Assessment as roadmap for revision of EU regulations on food contact materials; outlines eight main “issues” identified during ongoing evaluation, possible policy options to be considered by planned Impact Assessment; commenting period open until January 29, 2021
Canada and Germany propose plans to reduce plastic, support reusable packaging
Canada proposes large grocery retailers implement measures to reduce food contact plastics; includes removing plastics from certain products, reuse/refill, and recycling targets; Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment drafted a similar law; Canadian government seeking feedback from stakeholders until August 30, 2023
Canada continues single-use plastics ban, England considers similar action
Canada moves forward with domestic ban of six single-use plastic products; targets checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws; ban may come into force before end of 2022; public consultation until March 5, 2022; England considering similar ban with consultation until February 12, 2022
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.
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
FPF comment: Canadian pollution prevention notice for plastic food packaging
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) submits comment to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on the development of a pollution prevention planning notice for food plastic packaging; FPF highlights aspects of chemical safety and circularity for ECCC to consider; primarily (i) chemical migration, (ii) supporting safe reuse, and (iii) standards for compostable materials
Canada to ban single-use plastics
Development of action plan announced for Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste; ban to focus on reducing plastic pollution, aims to begin by 2021 but details still to be finalized