European Commission announces plan to create new hazard classes for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) within the EU’s Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP) Regulation; industry stakeholders criticize decision, call for addressing EDCs via REACH Regulation; civil society groups welcome change; further discussion planned for February 2021
PET recycling will not meet brand commitments
National Association for PET Container Resources concludes that U.S. PET recycling rates too low to meet brand commitments for recycled content; calls for action, including improving collection
Hundreds of chemicals migrate from reusable plastic bottles
Scientific study compares chemicals migrating from new plastic sport bottles and bottles after dishwashing and one year in use; detects over 400 plastic-related compounds including oligomers and aromatic amines; finds dishwashing to increase migration
Perfluorinated compounds linked to osteoarthritis, association not significant
New study links PFOS and PFOA exposure to osteoarthritis in women but association does not reach significance
Interlaboratory comparison of migration testing: Quantification
EU Reference Laboratory for FCMs publishes a report on interlaboratory comparison for testing the migration of caprolactam, and 2,4-di-tert butyl phenol; over 80% of returned test results considered satisfactory
Stakeholders discuss FCM regulatory evaluation
Discussions at EU Commission stakeholder event call for harmonized regulation of other food contact materials; REACH proposed as potential data source; concerns expressed regarding proposed ‘one-in, one-out’ approach for new laws within incoming Commission
NIAS in polypropylene films
Scientists study migration from food packaging films made of polypropylene; 74 compounds identified, 76% of them NIAS; 35% of samples show migration exceeding either SML or Cramer class-based recommendations
UN committee recommends global ban of UV-328
18th meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Review Committee recommends global elimination of the UV stabilizer known as UV-328 under the Stockholm Convention; time limited exemptions proposed for some current uses; Convention will review the proposal for finalization in May 2023
EU committee against EDC thresholds, calls for bans in FCMs
European Committee of the Regions (CoR) publishes resolution on European Green Deal; advocates against setting safe threshold levels for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), calls for a ban on bisphenols and phthalates in all food contact materials (FCMs)
Opinion: European Commission running behind on EDCs
Consumer groups urge European Commission to act on endocrine disruptors