UK Plastics Pact 2025 roadmap

UK’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) publishes UK Plastics Pact roadmap to 2025, outlines key actions to take to tackle plastic pollution

Thoughts on ‘plastic backlash’

Article in The Guardian ruminates on the history of plastics, reasons for current ‘backlash,’ possible outcomes and way forward

Persistence as cause of concern

Scientists review environmental implications of high persistence, argue that ‘highly persistent chemicals should be regulated on the basis of their persistence alone,’ regardless of bioaccumulation and toxicity propertie

Substitution analysis for plastic packaging

Life cycle assessment study commissioned by American Chemistry Council finds packaging plastics to have more favorable environmental profile than alternatives made of glass, metal, paper, textile, wood

CHE webinar on plastic food packaging

Collaborative on Health and the Environment holds webinar on Plastic food packaging within its Plastics and health series

EFSA assesses liquid absorber for use in FCMs

EFSA’s CEP Panel considers polyacrylic acid, sodium salt, cross‐linked safe for use in plastic food contact materials under certain conditions and for indirect food contact only

BfR: More research and data on microplastics needed

German risk assessment institute responds to Austrian stool study in communication addressing health risks from ingesting microplastics

The complexity of plastics recycling

Article by EcoWatch outlines some of the challenges in recycling plastics, deems recycling no simple solution to plastic pollution

UK to tax plastic packaging

UK government plans introducing tax on all plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled content by April 2022

Global commitment to tackle plastic pollution

Ellen MacArthur Foundation initiates New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to stop plastic pollution at source; 290+ organizations pledge to eliminate, innovate, circulate plastic packaging