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Report advocates for improving chemical recycling LCAs

Rethink Plastic Alliance reviewing four commonly cited life cycle assessments (LCAs) on chemical recycling; report identifies undisclosed data, flawed assumptions, questionable accounting methods; suggests LCAs should not be used for public communication or as the basis for political decision making or investment decisions, should be improved to be “more independent,” “transparent,” “comprehensive”

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ECHA’s CLH proposal on TBBPA open for consultation

Norway submits harmonized classification and labeling (CLH) proposal to European Chemical Agency (ECHA) for brominated flame retardant tetrabrombishpenol A (TBBPA); suggests adding classification of being possibly carcinogenic following rodent studies providing evidence; proposal still open for comments until January 29, 2021

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France to require EDC declaration in 2022

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

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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

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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

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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