Expanded polystyrene food packaging to be banned in the City of New York effective November 13, 2017; foam recycling found not “economically feasible” or “environmentally effective”
Recent studies on EDCs and cardiovascular health
Emerging evidence and systematic analyses highlight adverse effects of bisphenols and phthalates on cardiovascular health; meta-analysis of US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2003-2016 finds significant association of cardiovascular disease with bisphenol A; prenatal exposure particularly detrimental; calls for more mechanistic research, evaluation of cardiovascular safety profiles for substitution chemicals
EC solicits feedback on ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy roadmap
European Commission (EC) opens feedback period on the roadmap for strategy that aims to transition to a sustainable food system; comments accepted until March 16, 2020
Conference to discuss precautionary principle
ANSES and Sciences Po co-organize a conference in Paris, entitled “Health risks, precaution and innovation”
EC launches circular plastics alliance
EU Commission launches Circular Plastics Alliance to support EU plastics strategy; industry stakeholders to cover entire plastics value chain
OECD webinar on EU’s PFAS strategy
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) to hold webinar with representative from DG Environment on February 25, 2020; feature presentation on recent PFAS restrictions in EU, strategy for moving forward
Update: More US states now ban PFAS in food packaging
Connecticut, Vermont, and Minnesota join set of US states that ban use of PFAS in food packaging; Vermont ban also implements a procedure for considering phase-out of bisphenols in food packaging; Minnesota bill funds study to find which products within the state contain PFAS; Governor of New Mexico call on US Environmental Protection Agency to list PFAS as hazardous waste
ChemSec’s advice to speed up SVHC listing
NGO International Chemical Secretariat urges European Chemicals Agency’s director to encourage ‘better use’ of precautionary principle in order to speed up SVHC identification, resist industry pressure
Flexible plastic packaging expected to grow
Market research by the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) estimates 3,271 billion packaging units sold in 2018, led by flexible plastics and PET bottles; expects both material types to also see greatest increases by 2023
EC’s proposal for regulating printed FCMs
EU Commission publishes proposal for new regulatory approach for Union measure on printed FCMs, discussed during May 2017 meeting of working group on FCMs with Member States