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
France updates action plan on EDCs
National draft action plan on EDCs open for consultation; Health and Environmental Alliance submits comments, welcomes initiative
2023 FPF Workshop: Assessing and implementing safe and sustainable FCMs
In the afternoon of the Food Packaging Forum’s 11th annual workshop, speakers shared businesses experiences on the path towards more safe and sustainable food packaging; five talks and one panel discussion present opportunities, challenges, and case studies; representatives from several large international businesses shared approaches their organizations use to respond to safety and sustainability challenges; reusable packaging founders discuss the unique issues of changing the food packaging field
Studies report on bisphenol exposure and health effects
Review summarizes plastic-associated bisphenol A (BPA) sources, exposure, and human health risks; dietary bisphenol exposure via packaged food consumption in Saudi Arabia is potential human health concern; review discusses bisphenols’ effects on the cardiovascular system and recommends human-relevant studies with bisphenols other than BPA; consensus scoring analysis identifies endocrine-disrupting food contact chemicals potentially interacting with nuclear receptors
France to launch glass deposit system
French government has announced plans to establish glass deposit system; aims to phase out single-use plastics by 2040; incentivizes reusable glass with dedicated fund of 50 million Euro
EDCs: France pushes for hazard based definition
France places EDC definition on meeting agenda of Ministers of the Environment, supports definition based on hazard properties
French ban on disposable plastic tableware
New rule on single-use plastics in France: plates, cutlery, cups to consist of at least 50% biobased materials by 2020
Beyond BPA – Many bisphenols migrate from food packaging
Four studies investigate bisphenol (BP) migration from food packaging and human health effects; demonstrate wide presence of 11 bisphenols in polystyrene take-out food containers from China, Canada, and Poland; report material quality influences BPA migration from polycarbonate cups; indicate higher BPA migration from lined cans than plastic packaging into meat based on probabilistic models; find bisphenols A, F, and S induce genotoxic effects and changes in human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) expression using human blood cells
Developing the science-policy panel on chemicals and pollution
National delegations meet in Thailand to discuss the objectives and responsibilities of the new science-policy panel on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention; in run up to the meeting group of chemical pollution scientists publish article highlighting ten aspects for delegates to consider; non-profit academic organization International Panel on Chemical Pollution hosts webinar on conflicts of interest in chemicals and waste governance