The Recycling Partnership and SYSTEMIQ launch Plastic IQ, a free tool to help US companies make their plastic packaging strategy more sustainable; tool assesses current packaging impacts from consumption through end-of-life, builds customizable action plans, and compares “circularity of packaging strategy against industry best practices”
Investors urge major companies to reduce single-use plastic packaging
Investors with over $10 trillion in assets call for urgent action to reduce single-use plastic packaging in the fast-moving consumer goods and grocery retail sectors; cite environmental, climate, and public health threats posed by the entire plastics lifecycle; express concern over the financial risks to companies and investors
New Plastics Economy: Global commitment report
New Plastics Economy initiative of Ellen MacArthur Foundation launches its first Global Commitment report detailing industry and government progress on tackling plastic pollution
Spotlight on compliance of plastic resins
Study by regulatory enforcement officers highlights insufficient compliance work by polyolefin producers on migrating substances from plastics intended for food contact
European Commission proposes Green Claims Directive
European Commission seeks to combat ‘green washing’; proposal would regulate environmental claims and promote transparent communication to consumers; product claims will need to be independently verified, will launch new database of trustworthy labels
Greenpeace survey on plastic bottles
Soft drink companies have limited commitment to reducing single-use plastic bottles, increasing recycled content in PET bottles, considering PET bottles’ contribution to ocean pollution, according to new Greenpeace report
EC’s proposal for regulating printed FCMs
EU Commission publishes proposal for new regulatory approach for Union measure on printed FCMs, discussed during May 2017 meeting of working group on FCMs with Member States
Report: European supermarkets falling short on packaging commitments
Changing Markets Foundation and Break Free From Plastic investigate plastic pollution related actions made by 74 of the largest European supermarkets; Total average score of retailers was just 13/100, only Aldi UK and Aldi Ireland scored above 60; over 80% of companies had no information on total plastic use which “casts doubt” over plastic reduction pledges because there is no baseline data
Food contact materials and gut health: Implications for toxicity assessment and relevance of high molecular weight migrants
Phthalates linked to reduced couple fecundity
New study investigates association between BPA, phthalates and time to achieve pregnancy, men’s phthalate exposure linked to delayed conception