United States Senate unanimously passes the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, Recycling and Composting Accountability Act; both receive wide support from industry and environmental groups; must pass House of Representatives to become national policy
EU: New Circular Economy Package
European Commission adopts new Circular Economy Package; strategy on plastic recyclability, biodegradability, and presence of hazardous chemicals proposed
FPF Workshop 2016: Circular economy challenges for FCMs
Podium discussion at Food Packaging Forum 2016 workshop highlights recycling, reuse and waste collection opportunities and challenges for food packaging in the circular economy
China developing or updating many food safety standards in 2024
China’s National Health Commission publishes new standard for food contact adhesives, effective February 2025; also publishes food safety standards development plan for 2024 including three pertaining to food contact chemical migration; evaluation of food contact plastics recycling may also come this year
Europa: Chemicals to be evaluated 2014-2016
ECHA adopts substance evaluation plan for 2014-2016; includes several food contact substances
Researchers detect chemicals present in and migrating from PET bottles
Two studies analyze polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chemicals; identify several volatile chemicals present in and migrating from new PET bottles as well as from bottles commercially available in Japan; develop online method for quantifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS)
Hazardous chemicals in food contact materials?
The Food Packaging Forum’s second annual workshop was dedicated to hazardous chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs). A recent study by the Food Packaging Forum revealed that known chemicals of concern are knowingly and intentionally used in the manufacture of FCMs. During the workshop, participants learned from internationally renowned scientific experts how hazardous chemicals are managed in FCMs, how their risk is assessed, how chemical analytical work helps to ensure the safety of food packaging, and what emerging issues are related to the risk of chemicals in FCMs. They also heard […]
REACH investigation flags non-compliant companies
German NGO BUND uses freedom of information request to identify substances and companies implicated in incomplete REACH dossiers, calls on ECHA to increase transparency of substance registrations
MEPs criticize Commission over delayed EDC criteria
Members of the European Parliament submit motion of censure to President of European Parliament; criticize EC’s failure to provide EDC criteria in due time
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