Spanish industry-academia project aims to extract chemical building blocks from country’s orange peel waste for making bioplastic juice bottles
Behavior and labeling interventions to reduce plastic pollution
Three studies research plastic labeling shortcomings, effectiveness of behavioral interventions; article recommends plastic labels should include sustainability scale, provide regional disposal instructions, and list additives; review considers bigger picture, stakeholder diversity, and several techniques to increase effectiveness of behavioral interventions to reduce single-use plastic consumption; study finds social media does not affect consumer’s intentions to recycle plastics
Canada and Germany propose plans to reduce plastic, support reusable packaging
Canada proposes large grocery retailers implement measures to reduce food contact plastics; includes removing plastics from certain products, reuse/refill, and recycling targets; Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment drafted a similar law; Canadian government seeking feedback from stakeholders until August 30, 2023
EU working group on FCMs: New meeting minutes
EU Commission’s working group on FCMs discusses ex-post evaluation of FCM framework regulation, supply chain survey, EU measure on printed FCMs, plastic recycling, and monitoring of mineral oils in food and FCMs
RIVM: Dietary exposure to BPA ‘very limited’
Dutch institute for public health studies national population’s exposure to bisphenol A from food, finds total intake well below tolerable daily intake, shows no single food source contributes mainly to exposure
Survey shows European consumers lack information about food contact articles
European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) surveys EU consumers on experience, knowledge, and attitude on food packaging; consumers feel under informed; 90% of consumers support stricter rules to prevent health effects; recommends overhaul of EU food contact policies
EU Member States to evaluate 107 chemicals of concern
ECHA releases list of substances to be evaluated by Member States in 2018-2020; potential endocrine disruptors and substances relevant for FCMs included
ECHA shortlists 236 substances for scrutiny
EU Member States to examine 236 substances shortlisted in ECHA’s annual screening exercise for potential health and environmental risks; list not publicly available
New report on single-use plastic and food waste
Report by Friends of the Earth Europe, Zero Waste Europe, Rethink Plastic Alliance finds single-use plastic packaging not effective at reducing food waste, proposes solutions to cut both plastic and food waste
EFSA CEP Panel updates from November 2021 to April 2022
Minutes available from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, phthalates, and extraction solvents