European Commission receives 302 comments on inception impact assessment for revision of EU rules on food contact materials (FCM); Food Packaging Forum submits comments calling for revising definition to consider chemicals with difficult-to-identify safety levels, offers support to prioritize chemicals of concern
Joel Scheuchzer
Communications Officer
Nestlé investment to create market for recycled plastics
International food and beverage company to invest over 2 billion USD to source packaging from food-grade recycled plastics; aims to create market for recycled material, launch venture fund to support packaging innovation
Opinion: Companies attempt to paralyze precautionary legislation in the name of innovation
CEOs place innovation above consumer protection states open NGO letter to EC chief scientific advisor, calls for real transparency in policy decisions
New loopholes with revised EDC criteria
NGO CHEM Trust criticizes Commission’s newest draft EDC criteria for persisting high burden of proof and loopholes that allow continued use of endocrine disrupting pesticides
No specific target for the reduction of plastic bag use
European Commission adopts proposal on reduction of the use of light weight plastic bags, Member states to choose target and instruments
Washington State passes comprehensive plastics legislation
Governor for US state of Washington signs Senate Bill 5022; bans expanded polystyrene foam takeaway containers by June 2024; beginning January 1, 2022 all single-use service ware only given to customers upon request; adds minimum recycled content requirement to many plastic containers and trash bags; no longer requires triangular arrow recycle symbol on hard plastic products
EU to monitor mineral oil hydrocarbons in food
EU Commission adopts recommendation to monitor mineral oil hydrocarbons in food and in materials and articles intended for food contact; 2017-2018 monitoring data to be submitted to EFSA by February 2019
German authorities seek comments for bisphenol restriction proposal
Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the competent authority for REACH in Germany, and the German Environment Agency launch second stakeholder consultation in preparation for a REACH Restriction Dossier for bisphenol A (BPA) and other similar bisphenols; seeking updated use information including tonnages, emissions, alternatives and transition costs, and limit values; authorities already have enough data to demonstrate hazards
EU phthalates restriction comes into force
REACH restriction limits concentration of the four phthalates DEHP, DBP, DIBP, and BBP in consumer articles; restriction does not apply to food contact materials