News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
January 11, 2021
New US law provides annual funding for waste and recycling management, anti-littering campaigns, new Marine Debris Foundation, innovation prize; supported by chemical and plastics manufactures as needed infrastructure investment, criticized by civil society organizations as not addressing excessive plastic production as root problem
Reading time: 1 minute
January 8, 2021
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) estimates recycling of beverage cartons for Germany, Spain, Sweden, and UK; uses EU’s updated recycling calculation methodology, finds results lower than reported previously by Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) ; ZWE recommends investment in reuse and recycling infrastructure, effective collection and sorting systems, widely recognized recyclability label
Topics: beverage carton, recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
January 8, 2021
Europäischer Wirtschaftsdienst (EUWID) reports aluminum can recycling increases 2% in Europe compared to 2018, reaches 76% corresponding to 457 000 tonnes; highest recycling rate reported for Germany (99%)
Reading time: 1 minute
January 8, 2021
Study by Package Heroes project investigates plastic material content in food product categories and greatest potential for plastic reduction; finds reduction would have strongest positive impact for candy, ready-to-eat meals; data helps to focus research on specific product groups
Topics: food packaging, plastics
Reading time: 1 minute
January 7, 2021
European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Advice Mechanism publishes evidence report and scientific opinion, discusses potential benefits and limitations of biodegradable plastics; finds no silver bullet for inappropriate waste management or plastic littering, only for specific applications; appropriate formulation, coherent testing and certification standards needed to realize full potential
Reading time: 3 minutes
January 6, 2021
The European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem) publishes an updated version of sustainable plastics report; discuss challenges, scope, technical readiness, and impact; many projects still in the pilot or research stage
Reading time: 1 minute
January 6, 2021
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues list prohibiting food contact chemical phenol isopropylated phosphate (3:1) (PIP (3:1)) under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); EPA will ban processing, distribution and release in water of PIP (3:1); currently under assessment in EU for endocrine disrupting as well as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 5, 2021
Research study finds microplastic in placentas of four healthy women, detected both on the maternal and fetal sides of the placenta, membrane in-between; particles could enter the women’s body through oral or respiratory exposure, potential long-term effects for the fetus to be investigated
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 1 minute
January 5, 2021
European Commission announces plan to create new hazard classes for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) within the EU’s Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP) Regulation; industry stakeholders criticize decision, call for addressing EDCs via REACH Regulation; civil society groups welcome change; further discussion planned for February 2021
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 5, 2021
European Commission adopts new regulation banning export of hazardous and hard to recycle plastic waste to non-OECD countries from January 1, 2021; clean and recyclable plastic exports to only be approved under strict conditions; prior informed consent required for all intra-EU shipments
Reading time: 2 minutes
