European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and ChemSec submit comments to CARACAL subgroup on polymer registrations under REACH; recommend modifying proposed criteria for polymers requiring registration, suggest recognizing micro- and nanoplastic generation as inherent hazardous property of plastic polymers; call for mandatory pre-registration with submission of defined minimal dataset for all polymers
September 1, 2020
EEB analysis critical of ECHA microplastics restriction
European Environmental Bureau (EEB) disapproves of updates the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) made to its restriction proposal for microplastics in consumer and professional products; criticizes increase in microplastic size limit to 100 nm; ECHA defends changes, argues that regulation must be enforceable, cites lacking analytical techniques
July 24, 2020
Pew Charitable Trust report evaluates plastic pollution scenarios
Analysis calculates current commitments will only reduce plastic pollution flows into oceans by 7%; implementing all feasible solutions now could cut pollution by up to 78%; authors call for urgent and coordinated action by all stakeholders, redirecting all current and future investments away from virgin plastic infrastructure
July 21, 2020
The Globe and Mail article on human microplastics exposure
Author Rick Smith describes experiment carried out on himself with University of Rochester to identify uptake of microplastics in his diet; article discusses unknowns and concerns held by scientific experts, criticizes increased plastic use during COVID-19 pandemic
June 26, 2020
California adopts microplastics definition
U.S. California’s Water Resource Control Board adopts definition for microplastics in drinking water; long-term monitoring of microplastics planned in drinking water supplies to understand implications for public health
June 16, 2020
Calls for UK to ban oxo-degradable plastics
Industry associations and non-governmental organizations send letter to UK authorities urging ban on all oxo-degradable plastics in the country; call for UK to uphold equivalent standards to EU legislation after leaving the bloc
April 29, 2020
ACC GlobalChem conference webinar series
American Chemistry Council (ACC) shifts presentations from canceled GlobalChem conference online; series of ten webinars to cover topics such as US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) registration, microplastics, and global chemicals management
April 21, 2020
New FPF dossier: Microplastics
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) publishes background article and dossier informing about microplastics; discusses sources, analytical approaches, health hazards, and risk assessment
April 21, 2020
Microplastics
Microplastics are an invisible form of plastic pollution; effects on human health and the environment are largely unknown; summary article and FPF dossier define microplastics, explain sources and occurrence, focus on food contact materials
April 21, 2020
Microplastics
Microplastics have been found in all environmental compartments and in biota. Food is one source of human exposure to microplastics, and initial studies have shown that food packaging and processing equipment can contribute to this contamination. Risk assessment of microplastics that is based on exposure and toxicity data is currently hampered by insufficient data.
