EU Commission announces the planned addition of 12 substances to the REACH Authorization List, set to be added in October 2019
Toward a Global Understanding of Chemical Pollution: A First Comprehensive Analysis of National and Regional Chemical Inventories
International computational collaborations for predictive toxicology
12 additional substances for authorization
BPA and PVC in U.S. food can coatings
New survey of food cans purchased from 4 U.S. retailers finds 33-52% to still contain bisphenol A, 17-25% contain polyvinylchloride; NGOs call on retailers and food brands to remove BPA and ensure safety of alternatives
Edible label to reduce food packaging
Project with the University of Sunderland develops edible label that can be applied directly to foods and provides scannable code for users to access further information; aims to reduce need for additional packaging
Where do collected recyclables go?
New York Times addresses China’s ban on waste imports, illustrates impacts on recycling programs in the U.S. and globally
Assessing the circularity of single-use glass
Zero Waste Europe and Eunomia investigate the circularity of single-use container glass in Germany, France, the UK and US; Germany has the highest collection rates for glass and the highest proportion of recycled glass in containers; US is the lowest due to lack of collection facilities and mixed collection of glass with other packaging types; collecting glass separately and by color is the most effective way to increase circularity
New book on reducing exposure to toxins
The Vancouver Sun publishes interview with authors of groundbreaking chemical exposure book, follow-up book advises on how to reduce toxic exposures
UNEP and EU updates on marine plastic pollution
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) completes survey of South-East Asian consumers and businesses, finds ‘significant disconnect’ between expectations and actions taken to address plastic waste; European Commission (EC) and European Environment Agency (EEA) publish status reports on marine protection efforts in the EU, show mixed results with increase in plastics contamination