French government releases draft decree aiming to provide transparency on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in consumer products; sellers will need to provide product information to public platform; French ministries of Health and the Environment will release list of proven, presumed and suspected EDCs; decree expected to take effect on January 1, 2022
EUBP panel: Biodegradable plastic’s contribution for climate-neutral economy
15th European Bioplastics (EUBP) conference panel discusses role of biodegradable plastics in achieving climate neutral circular economy, argues application should be limited to waste collection applications; notes many composters still reject plastics, communication and clarification needed
Science publishes special issue on “Our Plastics Dilemma”
American Association for the Advancement of Science publishes special journal issue on plastics; includes reviews, perspectives, and news on various components of the plastics value chain; particular focus on waste management technologies that may contribute to a circular plastics economy, effects of plastic pollution on animals and the environment, support for a UN agreement on plastics
FCCmigex dashboard now has in-depth plastics page
Food Packaging Forum publishes interactive tool dedicated to exploring plastic food contact chemical research; released as an update of the Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex) dashboard; users can filter data by 12 polymer types, includes 1975 chemicals detected in plastics
Behavior and labeling interventions to reduce plastic pollution
Three studies research plastic labeling shortcomings, effectiveness of behavioral interventions; article recommends plastic labels should include sustainability scale, provide regional disposal instructions, and list additives; review considers bigger picture, stakeholder diversity, and several techniques to increase effectiveness of behavioral interventions to reduce single-use plastic consumption; study finds social media does not affect consumer’s intentions to recycle plastics
FPF Workshop 2020: Lessons learned from Clarity-BPA
Laura Vandenberg gives overview of CLARITY-BPA project; compares results of guideline and academic studies; concludes that lowest BPA dose had effects across organs
Pre-consumer and recycled plastic pellets contain hazardous substances
International Pollution Elimination Network and partners publish two studies investigating toxic substances in plastic pellets; virgin plastic pellets recovered from beaches on six continents all contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and endocrine-disrupting UV stabilizers; over half of the samples of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pellets contain at least 11 out of 18 flame retardants and UV stabilizers assessed
Taiwan bans PVC in food packaging
Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) announces food packaging made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) will no longer be allowed by July 2023 and it is strengthening its scheme to reduce use of single-use plastic cups
Many questions surround microplastics, what about micro(bio)plastics?
Literature review of micro- and nano(bio)plastics research; scrutinizes the complexities of micro- and nano(bio)plastics degradation and their toxicological effects; highlights gaps in long-term impact studies and interactions with environmental conditions; challenges the assumption that «biodegradable» means complete degradation; calls for greater transparency in research practices to bolster collective understanding
Reviews discuss health hazards of plastics including PFAS
Medical professionals elaborate on health hazards connected with plastic production, use, and waste; give options to reduce impacts on humans and the planet; scientists summarize current knowledge on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurrence and migration from food packaging and microplastics