New version of Understanding Packaging (UP) Scorecard published; allows users to create a private account, make and save product portfolios, compare entire business units, and features a more robust scoring system for chemicals of concern that considers the food or beverage being served
Canadian Federal Court overrules government’s plastics toxicity label
Justice Angela Furlanetto deemed the Canadian Environment and Climate Change Department’s classification of manufactured plastics products as toxic unconstitutional; the federal government is appealing the decision; single use plastics ban is still in effect
European Parliament adopts amended Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
Includes ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and bisphenol A in food packaging and general packaging reduction targets; decreases reuse obligations
Study detects DNA-reactive, mutagenic substances in recycled PE, PP, and PS
119 plastic samples including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tested for mutagenicity; no DNA-reactive, mutagenic substances in PET but in 51 of the other samples, making them unsafe, especially for food contact applications; recycling process identified as source; dataset of over 600 organic chemicals in recycled high-density PE pellets published
Report assesses benefits of increasing reusable beverage packaging
Estimates that ten percent increase in reusable packaging by 2030 could eliminate over 1 trillion single-use plastic bottles and cups; finds expanding reuse to be more effective than expanding recycling; calls for beverage companies to set reuse targets
Earth Action report assesses leakage of plastic additives into the environment
Earth Action (EA) publishes report quantifying plastic additives leaking into the environment; estimates more than 6,000,000 tons of additives leak into the environment annually by applying a mathematical modeling approach; briefing paper assesses environmental and human health impacts of plastic additives and discusses ways forward
Effective plastics treaty needs to include investments in reduce, reuse, and redesign, scientists highlight
Reveal financial disbalance in Zero Draft to favor recycling over reduction, redesign, and reuse; prone to result in even more plastic waste generation; call for finance shift towards upstream, midstream solutions such as clear and strong extended producer responsibility obligations in the global plastics treaty
United Nations commissioner recalls the human ‘right to science’
Explains that this right has never been that threatened before although key to the survival of humankind; provides six steps ensuring human rights to benefit from science such as a protection of scientists from attacks and against conflicts-of-interests
Global plastics treaty should include chemical simplification, scientists demand
Highlight reduction of chemicals used in plastics production as one necessary step towards safer recycling, in addition to stricter regulation to increase transparency on plastic producer side and phase out of harmful chemicals; call for inclusion of these obligations in global plastics treaty
Monomers migrate from plastics, some are EDCs
In a comprehensive review, researchers from the University of South Africa discuss the monomer migration from plastic food packaging, focusing on known endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs); migration process, potential health impacts discussed