Opinion: Plastic packaging should be simplified

Cradle to Cradle scientist Michael Braungart calls for fewer and simplified polymers to create material cycles rather than waste

3rd plastics update conference

Plastics Innovation Competence Centre hosts 3rd Plastics Update Conference in Fribourg, Switzerland; registration open until November 1, 2018

Plastic pollution through the food chain

HuffPost video summarizes extent of plastic pollution, effects on wildlife and humans, proposed measures against single-use plastics

Packaging industry questions EU single-use plastics directive

European Organization for Packaging and the Environment and other packaging associations comment on proposed EU directive on single-use plastics, express concern over directive’s quality and impact on internal market

ECETOC annual report 2017

Annual report of European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals informs about activities on endocrine disruptors, polymers, risk assessment tools

Recyclable packaging for meat products

Australian retailer Coles switches to recyclable meat packaging made from recycled PET with biodegradable barrier layer

UK recycling and waste management conference

Exhibition and conference on recycling and waste management to take place on September 12-13, 2018, in Birmingham, UK; focus on plastic waste problems

Soil microbes eat biodegradable plastic

Swiss and Austrian researchers show that soil microorganisms fully metabolize biodegradable polymer polybutylene adipate terephthalate; European Bioplastics deems doubts about biodegradable plastics clarified

Laser marks on German fruit and vegetables

German retailer EDEKA launches laser marks on fruit and vegetables instead of using sticker labels or plastic film

Opinion: Unlearn how to waste plastics

Article by Environmental Health News discusses increasing challenge of plastic waste driven by economic pressure and growth; recycling and bioplastics deemed ‘simple solutions’ incapable of meeting problem’s scale