U.S. discount retailer Dollar Tree joins Chemical Footprint Project; survey results to be published in project’s 4th annual report in 3rd quarter of 2019
2019 Chemical Footprint Project survey results
Survey reports an increase in participation to 31 businesses, improved chemicals management score from 53 to 67%; 209’000 metric tons hazardous chemicals removed from businesses over past four years
Chemical footprinting: 2018 annual report
3rd Chemical Footprint Project report shows companies have more knowledge about chemicals in their products, make efforts to reduce hazardous substances
P&P: Regulatory updates
Global regulatory updates presented at Smithers Pira 2016 P&P conference: final U.S. FDA guidance on FCMs for infant products expected, China updates its FCM regulation
Flame retardants above regulatory limits in some ‘eco-friendly’ baking papers
Study of bio-based food contact articles made of sugarcane bagasse or cellulose wood pulp labelled “natural”, “compostable”, or “biodegradable” finds PFAS and organophosphate esters (OPEs), a type of flame retardant and plasticizer; concentrations highest in baking papers; though purchased in Italy, some OPEs above EU regulatory concentration limit of 0.01 mg/kg
Polystyrene loophole criticized in EU Single Use Plastics Directive
Perspective article highlights extruded polystyrene loophole in the EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive (SUP); SUP bans expanded polystyrene for single-use applications but not structurally similar extruded polystyrene; manufacturers and retailers can switch to alternate material with little net change to hazard or pollution potential
High disease costs attributed to EDC exposure
New series of studies suggests that costs attributable to EDCs are over €150 billion per year in Europe
2021 FPF Workshop: Tools to prioritize societal health
On the third day of the Food Packaging Forum’s annual workshop, speakers discuss the new Understanding Packaging Scorecard that helps improve packaging procurement decision making, how regulators assess food packaging in the lab and on the market, new projects investigating plastics, and how understanding game theory in group decision making can lead to societal benefits
Studies discuss EDC sources, exposure, and human health effects
Scientific studies investigate human endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures and effects; Canadian study finds bisphenols migrate from baby bottles and sippy cups; reviews report of widespread presence of bisphenols, parabens, and benzophenones in human breast milk and addresses current misunderstandings about the impacts of EDCs on child health
Mapping microplastics in the male reproductive system
Study provides an in-depth look at microplastics in the male reproductive system, analyzes human and mouse samples to chart concentrations and polymer types; finds microplastics in all human testes samples and majority of semen samples; larger plastic particles may get trapped in testis, leading to higher concentrations; identifies correlation between urbanization, home-cooked meals, and body scrub used to microplastics concentration