The “Hazardous Chemicals in Plastic Packaging (HCPP): State of the Art, Prioritization, and Assessment” research project was a collaboration between multiple partners, led by the Food Packaging Forum (FPF). The project was funded by a grant from the Swiss-based MAVA Foundation and ran from mid-2017 until mid-2019.
The project’s goal was to gather and make accessible current scientific information on hazardous chemicals found in plastic packaging. The project’s focus was on the impact of these chemicals on human and environmental health, as well as socio-economic factors. The project also explored alternative options for the most dangerous chemicals.
Final Outputs
Prioritization approaches for hazardous chemicals associated with plastic packaging
Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards
Timeline
15 May 2018: The first set of results was presented at the 2018 SETAC Europe conference. The project partner CHEM Trust published a blog article describing the presentation as well as the slides.
20 July 2018: the manuscript “Chemicals associated with plastic packaging: Inventory and hazards” was submitted to the peer-reviewed scientific journal Science of The Total Environment. The manuscript and the database on Chemicals associated with Plastic Packaging (CPPdb) were available as preprints. CHEM Trust’s webpage published a blog article on this submission.
27 September 2018: FPF published a report on “Prioritization approaches for hazardous chemicals associated with plastic packaging.” The report includes two case studies that prioritized substances based on their impact on the environment and human health.
4 October 2018: The final article “Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards” was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Science of The Total Environment.
12 September 2019: At a final event in Gothenburg, Sweden the collaborative presented and discussed the project’s results. The talks were recorded and are publicly available to view. The project is now completed.
Partners
Food Packaging Forum: Dr. Jane Muncke, Dr. Ksenia Groh, Dr. Birgit Geueke
University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences: Dr. Bethanie Carney-Almroth, Prof. Thomas Backhaus, Dr. Pedro Inostroza
University of Gothenburg, Centre for Environment & Sustainability: Dr. Daniel Slunge
Dr. Maricel Maffini, independent consultant, Baltimore, MD, USA
New York University, School of Medicine: Prof. Leonardo Trasande
ChemSec International Chemical Secretariat: Dr. Anna Lennquist, Dr. Jonathan Kleimark
CHEM Trust: Dr. Michael Warhurst, Dr. Anna Watson
previously involved in the project: Dr. Heather Leslie, VU Amsterdam, Netherlands.