Report from workshop on “strengthening the role of substitution planning” finds consensus and sticking points on road to REACH revision; broad consensus that industry should be responsible for creating the substitution plans but disagreements on how to assess the plan and monitor implementation; study on substitution planning to be published by the end of 2024
Canadian Federal Court overrules government’s plastics toxicity label
Justice Angela Furlanetto deemed the Canadian Environment and Climate Change Department’s classification of manufactured plastics products as toxic unconstitutional; the federal government is appealing the decision; single use plastics ban is still in effect
FPF Workshop 2016: Substitution and elimination of chemicals of concern
Experts from industry and academia explain fundamental concepts and legal background of chemical substitutions; discuss practical challenges in replacing chemicals of concern in food packaging materials
ECHA calls for comments on chlorinated paraffins
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) seeks information on manufacture, use, exposure, environmental release of chlorinated alkanes to inform restriction proposal; comments accepted until December 15, 2020
EU human biomonitoring conference
Austrian Presidency and EU Commission host conference on European Human Biomonitoring Initiative, September 28, 2018 in Vienna; registration open until June 30, 2018
ENVI committee adopts resolution on chemicals strategy
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee of European Parliament passes resolution calling for upcoming chemicals strategy to fully apply precautionary and polluter-pays principles; resulting legislation should address and minimize endocrine disrupting and other hazardous chemicals in products including food packaging and recycled materials
Decontamination of recycled polyolefins
Scientists review decontamination of recycled polyolefins, compare it to PET; existing processes need re-examination using high molecular weight surrogate contaminants
EU Commission solicits comments on draft REACH update requirements
European Commission draft implementing regulations specifies when registrants should update REACH dossiers following changes; public feedback period open until January 15, 2020
UK environment committee calls for bottle deposit system
Environmental Audit Committee of UK parliament demands nation-wide plastic bottle deposit return scheme, more access to free drinking water, increased packaging producer responsibility, and 50% recycled content in plastic bottles
Steep decline in sperm counts of Western men
New study finds 50-60% decline in sperm counts between 1973 and 2011 among men from Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand; authors see declining sperm counts as signal of risk to men’s overall health