European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes presentation slides from stakeholder meeting on the re-evaluation of bisphenol A (BPA); EFSA scientists and other BPA working group members describe the re-evaluation process and reasons for suggesting the tolerable daily intake of BPA be lowered significantly
February 7, 2022
UK regulator acts to limit greenwashing
Advertising Standards Authority informs Pepsi Lipton International and Aqua Pura their “100% recycled” and “eco-friendly” labeling breaches advertising code; advertising implies the whole beverage container made from recycled materials even though cap and label are from virgin material; argue that eco-friendly label needs evidence
February 4, 2022
Study finds BPS may be as harmful as BPA
Cross-sectional study with over 1200 participants finds relation between bisphenol S (BPS) and heart disease; BPS is commonly used to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging and other products
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
February 3, 2022
US FDA adds 15 substances to food contact inventory
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds 15 new entries to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance Notifications (FCNs) since October 2021; FDA proposes update to procedure to determine when FCNs are no longer effective; update open for comment until April 11, 2022
February 1, 2022
FCM regulatory and waste management updates from South and Southeast Asia
Malaysia proposes revision of allowable uses for eleven chemicals, including seven used in food contact material (FCM) applications; Vietnam’s revised Law on Environmental Protection comes into effect, launches nationwide extended producer responsibility scheme for domestic producers and importers; Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives publishes report that chemical recycling plant in Indonesia, launched by Unilever in 2017, was “secretly shuttered” after two years; Sri Lanka proposes plastic pellets be classified as dangerous goods during maritime shipping
February 1, 2022
UV-328, PFCAs, chlorinated paraffins move closer to global restrictions
17th meeting of the Stockholm Convention’s Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) considers scientific evidence, agrees to move all substances onto next step in review process; long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), medium-chain chlorinated paraffins, and UV-328 all known to have been used in food packaging
January 31, 2022
EU citizens’ panel: 51 recommendations for climate change, environment, health
More than 40 representatives of the European public discuss concerns with EU institutions; panel on climate change and health adopts 51 recommendations for the EU; includes recommendation for ‘swift elimination of non-sustainable packaging’
January 31, 2022
Scotland plans 2023 launch of drink container deposit program
Scotland plans to redirect ‘tens of millions’ of drinks bottles and cans to recycling streams by adding deposits; starting 2023, consumers pay extra 20 pence on purchase but get money back when container returned; roll-out delayed one year due to Brexit and pandemic
January 28, 2022
Commentary on microplastics as a vector for chemical transport
Scientists respond to perspective article providing clarifications on plastic-driven long-range environmental transport (LRET) of chemical additives; discuss nine shortcomings of the perspective; suggest omitting the perspective article in discussions on plastic debris-associated LRET of additives
