Public consultation on REACH review

European Commission (EC) opens a public consultation period concerning the revision of REACH regulation; REACH is responsible for outlining chemical assessment procedures in the EU; possible updates include assessing chemical mixtures, simplifying safety data sheets, and incorporating essential-use concept; consultation period open until April 15, 2022

Plastic recycling in EU: FPF concerned about draft regulation

Food Packaging Forum (FPF) comments on EU draft regulation for recycled plastics FCMs; exemptions for the risk assessment of “incidental contamination” and for pre-market assessment of novel technologies likely to increase hazardous chemical exposure for the general public

Draft EU regulation streamlines certification of plastic FCM recycling processes

European Commission (EC) proposes regulation simplifying the process for the development, certification, and use of recycled plastic food contact materials (FCMs) in the EU; would replace earlier regulation (EC) No 282/2008; open for public comment until January 10, 2022

EU delays decisions on polymer registration, EDCs, and microplastics

Mandates for CARACAL subgroups on polymer registration and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) set to be extended by up to two years; proposed legislation on microplastics now seemingly delayed by one year

JRC Symposium compares microplastic analysis methods

European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) symposium summarizes current approaches for microplastic monitoring; research institutions present results of 4 inter-laboratory microplastic analysis comparison studies; no ‘one-size-fits-all’ analytical method, presenters emphasize need for harmonization; Commission outlines policy needs

Recycling food-grade plastics in the EU

Recycling Today reports on the challenges of supplying food-grade recycled plastics even as commitments increase; European Commission registers Citizens’ Initiative to create plastic bottle deposit and extended producer responsibility system in EU; World Wildlife Fund Germany investigates packaging system to find ways to increase circularity, encourages reuse over recycling

EC seeks comments on CLP Regulation revision

European Commission (EC) opens public consultation period for the revision of EU legislation on hazard classification, labeling, and packaging of chemicals (CLP); seeks comments from all stakeholders through November 15, 2021

Discussion on polymer registration under REACH goes into 4th round

EU Competent Authorities for REACH and CLP (CARACAL) subgroup members debate on the identification of polymers requiring registration and their grouping; consider different opinions of stakeholders on group size, acceptable hazard variation within a group and options to deal with the variety of molecular weights one polymer can have; discussions to continue until end of 2021

Global Food Contact opening keynote highlights EC FCM updates

2021 Smithers Pira conference covers global developments in food contact regulations and materials; opening keynote by Jonathan Briggs details latest developments on the European Commission’s (EC) update on food contact material (FCM) legislation; release of the EC’s final impact assessment pushed back to 2023, but staff working document on FCMs planned for the end of 2021

Call to consider persistence as CLP hazard class

Global PFAS Science Council comments on proposed revision of European Union classification, labeling and packaging (CLP) regulation; calls for the CLP to “introduce persistence as a stand-alone hazard classification”