Prime Minister announces goal of banning waste plastic, paper, and glass exports; reviewing options to better handle and reduce waste domestically; bans to be implemented ‘as soon as practicable’
August 21, 2019
Recycling ocean bound HDPE for food contact
U.S. Food and Drug Administration issues letter of non-objection to Envision Plastics for use of recycled high density polyethylene waste plastic collected from rivers in food contact articles
August 15, 2019
Aquafina, Dasani water in aluminum cans
Beverage manufacturers PepsiCo and Coca-Cola both plan to release their flagship water brands in new packaging, including aluminum cans and bottles; new packaging to be rolled out in the U.S. through 2020
August 13, 2019
Status report on advancing U.S. recycling
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports on status of working group efforts, identifies priority actions; current focus largely on exploring options, enacting legislation still a distant prospect
August 8, 2019
Recycling challenges for McDonald’s paper straws
Restaurant chain working with waste management providers in the UK and Ireland to improve recycling of its paper straws; paper thickness initially causing recycling complications, straws being treated temporarily with general waste until solution found
July 29, 2019
EFSA opinions on four PET recycling processes
European Food Safety Authority’s Working Group on Recycling Plastics publishes opinions on four processes for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into food contact materials; includes AMB, Poly Recycling, Texplast, Quinn Packaging processes
July 24, 2019
U.S. lawmakers to propose sweeping waste bill
Outline of bill includes extending producer responsibility, introduction of nationwide deposit schemes, single-use plastic bans, 100% recyclable packaging requirement; public feedback accepted until August 21, 2019
July 22, 2019
The Intercept article on plastic waste
Article discusses growing use of plastics and calls into question the effectiveness of current and future recycling efforts, skeptical of recent brand and retailer efforts to adapt their uses of plastic packaging
July 19, 2019
Recyclability evaluation protocol for HDPE
Protocol describes laboratory methods needed for determining recyclability of high density polyethylene (HDPE)
July 17, 2019
EFSA recycling plastics group: 6th meeting
EFSA’s CEP Panel’s working group on recycling plastics 2018-2021 continues discussing draft scientific opinions on several plastic recycling processes; minutes of the 6th meeting now available online
