34 NGOs and alliances recommend environment ministers reject ECHA’s current proposed restriction on microplastics, cite concerns over exceptions included for biodegradable microplastics and exceptionally long transition periods
Online symposium on EDCs and health impacts
Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) together with Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds to host online symposium on November 19, 2020; focus on reducing health impacts from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); set to feature talks from health and policy experts; registration free of charge
ZWE estimates lower recycling rates for beverage cartons
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
EU Parliament adopts general food law revisions
European Parliament votes to accept proposed regulatory changes to improve transparency; measures include speed-up of EFSA processes, common register of studies, criteria for confidential business information
Plastics and climate change
CIEL report highlights plastics’ contribution to climate change, urges global ban on single-use plastics
New infographics on EDCs
Health and Environment Alliance releases infographics on endocrine disrupting chemicals, focuses on the need to accommodate low dose effects and science advances into risk assessment
Germany: Increasing safety along the food chain
German Institute for Risk Assessment announces cooperation with Fraunhofer Institutes to increase safety along the food chain
Swiss industry discusses packaging of the future
Trade association’s annual conference 2019 zooms in on criteria for future-proof packaging solutions, focuses on recycling and consumer education
We Choose Reuse campaign publishes open letter
Break Free from Plastic announces open letter as part of ‘We Choose Reuse’ campaign, demands strong political action to set up successful reuse systems; highlights current challenges such high investment and operating costs; will be delivered to officials on June 16, 2021