Includes ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and bisphenol A in food packaging and general packaging reduction targets; decreases reuse obligations
FPF Workshop 2018: Assessing the safety of food packaging
Experts identify challenges for risk assessment and management of food contact chemicals, present toxicity tests and analytical tools for safer food packaging
Quantis launches “Plastic Leak Project”
Consulting firm Quantis announces start of project to develop methodology to assess plastic leakage; aims to support companies in minimizing plastic pollution along their value chains
McDonald’s phases out PFAS
McDonald’s announces plan to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from all guest packaging materials globally by 2025
Collaborative to verify and register safer chemical alternatives
Chem Forward and Sustainable Packaging Coalition launch collaborative to identify, assess, and verify safer alternatives for use in food packaging; plan to develop cloud-based registration system, highlight best practices, develop common agenda to accelerate systemic change
ECHA recognizes PFBS as substance of very high concern
European member states agree to recognize perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) as a substance of very high concern (SVHC); cite equivalent concern to carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic substances, high mobility in environment
BPA-free can coatings progressing slowly
Developing non-BPA can coatings challenges manufacturers; lower-production-volume raw materials result in higher cost; lower performance reduces shelf-life
U.S. retailer urged to ban toxic chemicals
Non-profit organization Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families calls on U.S. retailer Albertsons to adopt comprehensive chemicals policy after finding lead, formaldehyde, parabens, and BPA in consumer products sold in its stores
UV-328 listed as POP under the Stockholm Convention
11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention lists UV absorber as Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP); first non-halogenated POP under the Convention; also listing of flame retardant dechlorane plus and pesticide methoxychlor in Annex A
Free tool helps companies design circular packaging strategy
The Recycling Partnership and SYSTEMIQ launch Plastic IQ, a free tool to help US companies make their plastic packaging strategy more sustainable; tool assesses current packaging impacts from consumption through end-of-life, builds customizable action plans, and compares “circularity of packaging strategy against industry best practices”