Scientists develop holistic conceptual framework to characterize and rank the environmental risks of plastic polymers; tool can support targeted investment and mitigation strategies
US government and stakeholders debate how to improve recycling
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets target national recycling rate of 50% by 2030; stakeholders identify recycling data gaps as key limitation; call for new national standards and legislation improving reporting, use of recycled content; upcoming changes in government administration create uncertainty
OECD report on PFAS alternatives for food packaging
Report by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) investigates market availability and use of alternatives to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in paper and board coatings; finds non-fluorinated alternatives available and effective, market uptake primarily limited by increase in price
Opinion: Plastic recycling a ‘false promise’
Engineer estimates U.S. plastic recycling rate below 5% in 2018, calls for ‘real solutions’ to plastic pollution such as reduced production of single-use plastics, implementation of deposit schemes
Free tool helps companies design circular packaging strategy
The Recycling Partnership and SYSTEMIQ launch Plastic IQ, a free tool to help US companies make their plastic packaging strategy more sustainable; tool assesses current packaging impacts from consumption through end-of-life, builds customizable action plans, and compares “circularity of packaging strategy against industry best practices”
Phthalates: impact on leiomyoma growth and mixture risk
Study identifies mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) exposure as high-risk factor for leiomyoma growth on epidemiological and mechanistic level; European biomonitoring of five reprotoxic phthalates demonstrates necessity to integrate mixture risk assessment into regulatory practice; targeted analysis shows migration of five phthalates from polypropylene food packaging
Reports identify there is still much to do to reach a circular economy
In the first quarter of 2022 Circle Economy, the OECD, and Zero Waste Europe publish reports investigating various aspects of material value chains and share insights to ‘close the circularity gap’ and ‘bend the plastics curve’; evaluate material usage globally, plastics in OECD nations and globally, and PET in Europe
73 mio t of plastic film will be used in 2021
Smithers Rapra publishes a report on the future of global plastic films market; forecasts an annual growth rate of 3-6% and a demand of 73 million metric tons to be reached by 2021
Intelligent packaging: Applications overview
Scientists review basic principles and market applications of intelligent food packaging; discuss the obstacles to a broader market penetration
Marketplace for chemical alternatives
Non-profit organization ChemSec launches new online resource aimed to facilitate advertising and finding commercially available substitutes to hazardous substances