US state of Washington Department of Ecology publishes reports on phenolic compounds (e.g. bisphenols) and PFAS in certain food packaging types triggering countdown until new restrictions; phenolic compounds in drink can coatings to be restricted beginning June 2023; PFAS to be banned in bags and sleeves, bowls, flat serviceware, open-top containers, and closed containers by May 2024
EU policies’ contribution to circular economy
DG Environment publishes roadmap for evaluating contribution of current EU policies to circular economy; public consultation closes June 4, 2018
Washington state publishes draft PFAS action plan
Department of Ecology (DoE) for US state of Washington outlines recommendations to reduce impacts of PFAS on public and environmental health; focuses on drinking water, environmental concentrations, waste streams, consumer products; open for public comment until December 7, 2020
Rite Aid expands chemical policy to include FCMs
Drug store chain Rite Aid expands its chemicals policy to cover food contact materials (FCMs); restricted substances list sets concentration limits, does not allow intentional use in food packaging of various heavy metals, all ortho-phthalates, all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Reports highlight reuse benefits and plastics recycling shortcomings
International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) report details current recycling schemes; concludes waste management techniques not “capable of alleviating” the growing plastic pollution crisis; recommends government actions to reduce plastic production; Break Free From Plastic follows up on 215 packaging commitments from top plastic pollution producing companies: 18 projects with no information after press release, few projects lessen plastic production; Upstream compares single-use and reusable service ware for environmental impact and business cost, finds “reuse wins”
Reuse Fact Sheet
fact sheet Reusable Food Packaging and foodware Everyone is talking about reuse. It’s a promising approach to drastically reduce packaging waste, but scaling it up responsibly calls for some careful considerations. Check out our fact sheet for a quick introduction! English Spanish French What is reuse? Reusable foodware and packaging are repeatedly used for the same purpose for which they were originally created. Their stability and material properties allow them to be cleaned and hygienically reused many times. A minimum […]
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
Scientists review state of edible films and coatings
Two new reviews investigate types, properties, and application of edible films and coatings applied on food; reuse of food waste to protect fresh food; addition of nanomaterials identified to further increase mechanical and barrier properties of edible films
EC: draft proposal to restrict intentionally added microplastics
European Commission (EC) publishes draft proposal to restrict intentionally-added synthetic polymer microparticles < 5 mm; could ban use of microplastics in cosmetics, cleaning products, pesticides, and sport fields; environmental groups warn of shortcomings
EU: New Circular Economy Package
European Commission adopts new Circular Economy Package; strategy on plastic recyclability, biodegradability, and presence of hazardous chemicals proposed