Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) calls on EU Commission to release strategy for non-toxic environment, recommends 12 priority actions
REACH: Over 21,000 substances registered
After final REACH deadline, 21,551 chemicals on European market are registered; dossiers need to be kept ‘up to date’ to reflect new science and products, ECHA says
Sweden to propose BPA analogue as SVHC
Swedish Chemicals Agency will propose 4,4′-isobutylethylidenediphenol as substance of very high concern to avoid regrettable substitution of bisphenol A
ECHA to look at chemical groups
European Chemicals Agency publishes 2017 report on implementing the SVHC Roadmap; 750 substances of potential concern under scrutiny currently; structurally similar substances to be assessed as groups
Sweden addresses ‘cocktail effects’ and grouping of chemicals
Government of Sweden investigates how to consider chemicals’ ‘cocktail effects’ and regulate similar substances in groups within EU chemicals legislation
Focus on PFASs
Ensia article summarizes environmental and health concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, addresses controversial substitution of long-chain PFASs with short-chain alternatives
Replacing hazardous chemicals with similarly toxic alternatives
New report by NGO CHEM Trust highlights necessity to regulate groups of similar chemicals to avoid regrettable substitutions, illustrates replacement of BPA with BPS and other analogues as example
90% of U.S. food cans BPA-free
Can Manufacturers Institute reports that 90% of food cans sold in U.S. use BPA-free can coatings; typical replacements are acrylic and polyester coating materials
Washington State bans PFASs in food packaging
Governor of U.S. state Washington signs bill into law banning the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in food packaging by 2022 if alternatives can be found by 2020
Influence of consumer and retailer demands
U.S. state regulations, consumer and retailer actions on chemicals in food packaging more effective than FDA regulation, according to experts at Chemical Watch conference