Charity sees compelling evidence for bisphenol A’s role in increased breast cancer incidence, discusses financial costs of breast cancer
Upcoming bans on single-use plastics
UK plans banning plastic straws and cotton buds; New York governor proposes statewide ban on plastic bags, with exemptions
UK may tax single-use plastics
UK government considers taxing disposable plastic items such as coffee cups and takeaway food containers to reduce plastic waste and pollution; call for evidence to be launched in 2018
UK fund to redesign plastics production
UK’s science minister announces £20 million fund to support ‘research and innovation’ in plastics production and consumption patterns
Calls for UK to ban oxo-degradable plastics
Industry associations and non-governmental organizations send letter to UK authorities urging ban on all oxo-degradable plastics in the country; call for UK to uphold equivalent standards to EU legislation after leaving the bloc
Ukraine publishes draft FCM law
Ministry notifies World Trade Organization of draft law, may apply specific measures to group of 17 food contact materials (FCM) and articles; addresses recycled plastics, traceability and labeling, good manufacturing practices; open for comments until July 27, 2020
Assessing the circularity of single-use glass
Zero Waste Europe and Eunomia investigate the circularity of single-use container glass in Germany, France, the UK and US; Germany has the highest collection rates for glass and the highest proportion of recycled glass in containers; US is the lowest due to lack of collection facilities and mixed collection of glass with other packaging types; collecting glass separately and by color is the most effective way to increase circularity
Regulation drives substitution of SVHCs
ECHA-commissioned study shows that REACH is important driver for substitution of hazardous chemicals in the EU; more resources and infrastructure required; education on substitution, collaboration within supply chains need improvement
ECHA survey identifies drivers and barriers of chemical substitution
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) publishes report on motivations for companies to substitute hazardous chemicals; greatest drivers found to be regulatory restrictions under REACH, customer demand, internal sustainability strategies
UK requested to revise PFAS TDIs
NGO CHEM Trust asks UK government agency to revise tolerable daily intake (TDI) of PFOS and PFOA to match EFSA recommendation, consider ban of PFAS in food contact materials