Ellen MacArthur Foundation and UK’s Waste and Resources Action Program announce initiative to tackle plastics in the UK; focus on plastic packaging; aim to eliminate single-use plastics, boost recycling, mobilize citizens
ChemSec report on circular economy
Published report focuses on chemicals as overlooked part of a circular economy; urges companies to not rely on legal compliance alone, calls for avoiding hazardous substances during design stage and speeding up regulation
New form of PLA seen as beneficial for application in hot food packaging
Researchers develop a more thermally resistant form of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic; provides clear, tough, and heat resistant material with the potential to expand PLA market application and reduce price
Plastic recycling: Future scenarios and behavioral influences
Five articles discuss future recycling and/or consumer waste sorting; outline future recycling technologies and recycled plastic applications; identify gaps between recycling technologies and targets of multi-material multilayer plastic packaging; find consumers wrongly dispose bioplastics and that packaging design affects sorting behavior; show single-use bag bans able to increase recycling contamination
Studies review human exposures and effects of micro- and nanoplastics
Three studies investigate micro- and nanoplastics – source, organ deposition, and reproductive effects; detect up to 240,000 plastic particles/L in bottled water with 90% being nanoplastics; find microplastics in human lung, intestine, and kidney tissues; polyethylene particles found to affect placental function in mice
Helene Wiesinger
Scientific Communication Officer
Stakeholders discuss global plastic treaty
Friends of Europe hosts online debate bringing together stakeholder groups from industry, regulatory agencies, and NGOs; considers how to achieve a circular plastics economy, discusses the necessity of a global plastic treaty, prevention of plastic waste trade and illegal waste dumping, extended producer responsibility schemes (EPRs), need for unified EU plastic waste market; discussions build on report by European Environment Agency, case study by Zero Waste Europe and report by Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Lisa Zimmermann
Scientific Communication Officer
5th retailer report card on chemical safety
‘Mind the Store’ campaign publishes updated report card scoring 50 major North American retailers on their actions to remove toxic chemicals from their products; finds improvement over last year in 70% of companies reviewed, focus has remained on eliminating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), ortho-phthalates, and bisphenols from products
Guidance on packaging definitions
American Institute for Packaging and the Environment publishes guidance document comparing varying definitions that currently exist within packaging materials management