European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies covering five single-use versus reusable packaging scenarios; incorporates 16 impacts; paper production practices and consumer behavior play significant role in final, single impact score; reuse tended to perform better in most scenarios, significantly so when comparing reusable glass bottles versus single-use glass
Food contact chemical burden linked to wealth
New study linking chemical body to socioeconomic status, necessary to reduce chemical burden of the poor and the wealthy
European Environmental Agency on EDCs: Risk assessment drags behind the science
Authors of new European Environmental Agency report see need for more adaptive risk assessment
ZWE examines aspects and challenges of sustainable packaging in three reports
Reports by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) and partners examine decarbonization pathways of beverage containers, urge rethinking single-use glass and transition towards reuse, and investigates the economic viability of reusable food packaging
Policy brief: effectiveness of national action plans for global plastics treaty
Global Plastics Policy Centre publishes analysis to support INC-2; finds national action plans need to be reformed to maximize effectiveness
Food packaging in the circular economy: Overview of chemical safety aspects for commonly used materials
Emission of PFCAs from heated kitchenware and consumer products
New study shows perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids to be emitted from heated polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces, emission increases with temperature
Study investigates pace of bioplastic innovation
Clarivate report finds bioplastics still in early developmental stage, volume of filed patents increasing at same rate as other sectors; research focus being placed on improving mechanical properties to compete with petrochemical-based plastics
East Asian nations update food packaging guidelines
South Korea updates Standards and Specifications for Utensils, Containers, and Packages; releases 2021 Food and Drug Safety White Paper; China updates precision level on food packaging migration requirements; Taiwan to monitor the use of nitrogen in food packaging; Hong Kong statutory authority encourages stricter standards for silicone food contact articles
Workshop discusses developments in read-across
Journal article presents summary of presentations and discussions from European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (Ecetoc) workshop; finds new approach methodologies useful for read-across in chemical safety assessments, identifies areas for improvement