News
The Food Packaging Forum reports on recent developments across the food packaging and health field.
April 29, 2021
German Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung finding paper composite packaging use will increase until 2025, uses 40% more material; paper composites cause more packaging waste, cause problems for recycling, replace hardly or non-recyclable or hardly recyclable plastic packaging, compete with improvement of plastic recycling; may be harmful to circular economy (in German)
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April 29, 2021
US states Oklahoma and Arizona pass bills to support chemical recycling facilities; at the same time, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers whether to include chemical recycling in national recycling calculations
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April 29, 2021
Fast food chain Wendy's will eliminate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer-facing packaging in the US and Canada by the end of 2021, establish restricted substances list (RSL); faster phase-out timeline than competitor McDonald's; public health advocates applaud fast-paced commitment, call on Burger King to take similar action
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April 28, 2021
Boston Consulting Group survey interviews 15,000 consumers across Europe, North America, South America; finds consumer environmental awareness and preference for recyclable packaging unaffected by pandemic, young consumers willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, miseducation exists about real recycling rates
Topics: food packaging, recycling
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April 28, 2021
Chipotle restaurants aim to phase out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from packaging by the end of 2021, follows commitments made in early 2020; PFAS already eliminated from burrito bowls in the US, Canada, and soon Europe; company is working with suppliers to prioritize food safety in all parts of packaging production
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April 28, 2021
European Commission, following its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, tasks ECHA with defining hazard classes for revision of the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) regulation; to include persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) chemicals, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and various classifications of toxicity
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April 27, 2021
Canadian government announces intention to consider per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as single class; will continue to support PFAS related research, collect information on how to implement approach, review implementation of other jurisdictions; plans to publish overview report in 2023; approach open for stakeholder feedback about challenges and opportunities
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April 26, 2021
European Commission (EC) releases study mapping current sustainability initiatives and research applicable to creating sustainable-by-design criteria; particular focus on materials and chemicals, including a section assessing nanomaterials; finds few policies related to the production phase of a material’s life cycle; next steps are to identify specific aspects of sustainability to be covered in the criteria and how to evaluate them
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April 26, 2021
China requests comments for five new food contact chemicals (FCCs); includes two additives, three polymer resins; consultation open until May 13, 2021
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April 23, 2021
Thailand publishes draft regulation for chemicals in paper food contact materials (FCMs), affects non-colored paper and board containers; limits concentrations of heavy metals, phthalates, bisphenol A and benzophenone; draft open for consultation until May 11, 2021
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