Life Cycle Initiative led by UN Environment publishes synthesis report investigating impacts of single-use plastic products through life cycle assessment (LCA) approach; finds concept of ‘single-use’ more problematic than ‘plastic’; encourages countries to promote and incentivize replacing single-use products with reusable products; keep products at highest value in economy for as long as possible
OECD webinar on AOP knowledge base
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to host webinar on using Adverse Outcome Pathway Knowledgebase (AOP-KB) on January 30, 2020; provide technical tips for submitting and retrieving scientific information on AOPs
Big food to disclose data on GRAS evaluations
Grocery Manufacturers Association will give US FDA access to large database of chemical safety information
UNEP report assesses plastic packaging labels
Joint report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) maps and assesses global labeling schemes and claims related to recycling and disposal of plastic packaging; recommends global harmonization of definitions, better consideration of actual local conditions, restriction of chasing arrows symbol, labels being verified with enforcement of proper use
Collecting data on endocrine activity
European Commission’s Joint Research Centre launches web-based information system collecting scientific data on chemicals’ endocrine activity
New Japanese coalition to protect children from harmful chemicals
Group of Japanese consumer organizations form ‘Network for Protecting Children from Hazardous Chemicals’; purpose is to gather and communicate scientific research and urge for legislative changes; inauguration event takes place on April 22, 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
Platform on chemical exposure
National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark launches information portal on chemical exposure; special focus on chemical cocktails and endocrine disruptors
Sweden: New website on safety of nanomaterials
Swedish platform on nanomaterial safety publishes new website with information on safety aspects of nanomaterials
Efforts to track plastic flows in EU and Canada
EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes improved model of plastic product flows and recycling in the EU; new model design is easy to update when new information becomes publicly available; Canada consulting on a draft plastic products registry to track plastic flows in the country