News Article

EU committee rejects increasing lead limits in recycled PVC

Environment Committee of EU Parliament rejects EU Commission’s proposal to allow up to 2% lead by weight in recycled polyvinylchloride (PVC); see increased levels as unsafe and unnecessary given available PVC alternatives, argue recycling should not justify continued use of hazardous substances

News Article

EC proposes revisions to packaging and waste legislation

European Commission (EC) publishes proposal to revise the EU legislation on packaging and packaging waste; includes mandatory targets for waste reduction, re-use, and minimum recycled content in plastic packaging; based on three problems identified by an impact assessment: growing packaging waste generation, barriers to packaging recycling and re-use, and low recycling quality in plastic packaging 

News Article

Studies assess composition and safety of chemicals in recycled HDPE

Scientists analyze volatile compounds in recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE); detect 53 chemicals in two post-consumer HDPE milk bottles including plastic additives and non-intentionally added substances (NIAS); risk assessment shows samples do not comply with plastic food packaging regulation; report re-granulation process in mechanical recycling to remove most but not all odor and volatile organic compounds

News Article

GenX: developmental toxicant in rats

Study finds developmental toxicity in rats for hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA or GenX); exposure results in reduced pup birth weights, increased pup liver weight, and reduced neonatal survival; similar adverse effects to other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; knowledge gaps regarding clearance rate and human half-life

News Article

EC publishes Circular Economy Action Plan

European Commission’s new plan includes specific aims to simplify packaging materials, reduce unnecessary packaging use, set mandatory requirements for recycled content, remove hazardous chemicals from product life cycles; timelines for individual initiatives published