International Panel on Chemical Pollution publishes first draft report on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), compiling lists of chemicals recognized or suggested as EDCs; comments can be submitted until September 15, 2016
Report compares US state recycling rates
Ball Corporation commissioned report compares recycling rates across US states for rigid plastics, glass, aluminum and steel cans, and cardboard for 2018; best overall recycling rates found for Maine (72%); results based on multiple data sources including US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states, municipalities, waste processors; finds high recycling rates correlate with presence of deposit return systems, curb recycling, extended producer responsibility schemes
Chile passes comprehensive plastics legislation
Chilean legislature unanimously passes comprehensive single-use and recycled plastics regulations; regulation bans single-use plastic use within a food establishment, compels markets and convenience stores to only sell recyclable beverage containers, beverage containers must contain plastic collected and recycled within Chile; regulations come into effect over 3 years
BEF Germany brochure on FCMs and chemicals
Non-governmental organization Baltic Environmental Forum Germany (BEF) publishes brochure providing general introduction and overview of hazardous chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs), common material types, tips for reducing exposure
EU food safety model audited
Audit report of EU food safety model finds it ‘overstretched’; recommends more consistency across member states and collaboration with private sector
Labeling and reporting schemes for nanomaterials
New report from the European Commission addresses nanomaterials in consumer products, gives overview over detection methods in complex matrices
Microplastics in aquatic environment
Microplastics2018 conference addresses sources, fate, effects of microplastics in waste water and aquatic ecosystems
Hazardous chemicals in European products: new SCIP database
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launches database of all notifications from EU companies of products containing Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs); contains over 4 million article notifications from 6000 companies; includes articles such as food processors; Swedish Chemicals Agency launches pilot project to identify potentially hazardous chemicals early in product design process
New study tests endocrine disrupting properties of Tritan™
New plastic Tritan™ shown to contain traces of BPA and benzylbutyl phthalate, no endocrine disrupting effects found for total migrate
India adopts migration limit for antimony and DEHP
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) amends national packaging legislation to add overall migration limits for antimony and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) from plastic food packaging