Minutes from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) CEP panel and working groups on bisphenol A (BPA), food contact materials (FCMs), recycling plastics, and phthalates published; groups continue discussions and revisions of draft opinions; new working group on re-evaluation of phthalates and structurally similar substances in FCMs launched
Commission presents ‘European Green Deal’
European Commission publicly announces new deal to serve as roadmap for making EU’s economy sustainable; includes creation of chemicals strategy for sustainability, zero-pollution action plan, circular economy action plan, farm to fork strategy; timeline for actions published
Coronavirus and Packaging
CorOnavirus & Packaging During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Packaging Forum helps to gather, summarize, and communicate relevant information related to food packaging and human health Overview The spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has had impacts across all sectors. As health authorities and scientists around the world work towards identifying solutions to bring the situation under control, the Food Packaging Forum is monitoring the situation closely. This page serves as a resource providing an overview of relevant scientific studies, […]
EPA: Priority substances for TSCA evaluation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prioritizes 20 substances to undergo risk evaluation according to Toxic Substances Control Act; list includes several solvents, phthalates, flame retardants, chemical intermediates with food contact relevance; public consultation now open
90% of U.S. food cans BPA-free
Can Manufacturers Institute reports that 90% of food cans sold in U.S. use BPA-free can coatings; typical replacements are acrylic and polyester coating materials
ECHA to publish 9000 REACH dossiers
ECHA grants over 9000 registration numbers, information to be published by the end of the year
Associations report European packaging recycling rates
Industry associations report recycling rates of packaging materials in Europe; average collection rate of glass bottles and jars hit 80% in 2020; paper packaging recycling over 80%; paper recycling rates close to theoretical maximum; plastic recycling has not increased despite increased demand by beverage companies; two-thirds of plastic-packaging pledges in Europe failed, supporting the change away from single-use likely necessary
ASEAN member actions on plastic and chemical pollution
Nations in Southeast Asia collectively working on reducing plastic pollution and related chemical hazards; Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signs off on project to “combat” marine plastic; Thailand plans ban on plastic scrap imports; new research available on sources of plastic pollution in Indonesia and Vietnam; Vietnam and Singapore implementing stricter chemical regulations; extended producer responsibility for plastic waste becomes law in Philippines
EU agreement on single-use plastics
EU Council and Parliament provisionally agree on new Directive restricting several single-use plastic products, including cutlery, plates, straws, certain food and beverage containers
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