EU Commission evaluates implementation of its circular economy plan; all 54 actions outlined in 2015 ‘have now been delivered or are being implemented’
Do chemicals in plastic consumer products contribute to obesity?
Implementation of EU circular economy plan
Edible six-pack rings
U.S. companies develop six-pack rings for beer cans made from barley and wheat; claim product is biodegradable, compostable and edible for humans and wildlife
FPF Workshop 2019: Doubt is their product
David Michaels explains how ‘manufactured scientific uncertainty’ is used to delay regulatory actions on harmful products
Value and struggles of the material production sector reducing emissions
Zero Waste Europe and Eunomia publish report on the ability of aluminum, concrete, steel, and plastics industries to meet global carbon budgets; current efforts and plans are unlikely to be sufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C; call for urgent actions to reduce material use
PFAS testing prompts packaging changes from US retailers, restaurants
Consumer Reports tests 118 food packaging products from 24 US fast food and grocery chains; finds PFAS in over half of the products; nearly one third of packaging products contain over 20 ppm and 22 over 100 ppm organic fluorine; several brands commit or re-commit to removing intentionally added PFAS from their packaging
UK fund to redesign plastics production
UK’s science minister announces £20 million fund to support ‘research and innovation’ in plastics production and consumption patterns
Baby foods as dominant pathway for infant exposure to antioxidants
Targeted analysis demonstrates widespread contamination of Chinese baby foods with traditional and novel antioxidants; plastic food packaging identified as one source; prevalent and high migration of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol from different types of plastics
Wrestling with the externalities of the plastics supply chain
As the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee of the UN Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution approaches, publications highlight the diverse effects the plastics supply chain has on human health and the environment, particularly the burden on vulnerable communities