New Plastics Economy initiative launches new report at World Economic Forum and presents 3 strategies for a more sustainable plastic packaging market: redesign & innovation, reuse, and recycling
10 EU Member States at risk of not reaching packaging waste recycling targets by 2025
European Environment Agency (EEA) reports on recycling targets; 10 Member States at risk of missing 65% packaging waste recycling rate by 2025; 19 members struggle to meet 50% plastic packaging recycling quota; upcoming packaging and packaging waste revision to include reuse and refill targets
UK Plastics Pact 2025 roadmap
UK’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) publishes UK Plastics Pact roadmap to 2025, outlines key actions to take to tackle plastic pollution
FPF comments on EFSA’s non-monotonic dose response opinion
Scientific Committee’s Scientific Opinion fails to deliver on European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) commitment to scientific excellence and transparency; Food Packaging Forum (FPF) sends open letter to EFSA’s leadership urging them to address severe shortcomings in content and process; adequate scientific appraisal of non-monotonic dose response (NMDR) is critical for chemical risk assessment that protects public health
Studies report on bisphenol exposure and health effects
Review summarizes plastic-associated bisphenol A (BPA) sources, exposure, and human health risks; dietary bisphenol exposure via packaged food consumption in Saudi Arabia is potential human health concern; review discusses bisphenols’ effects on the cardiovascular system and recommends human-relevant studies with bisphenols other than BPA; consensus scoring analysis identifies endocrine-disrupting food contact chemicals potentially interacting with nuclear receptors
EFSA comments on misleading communication of BPA risks
Low health concern associated with BPA aggregate exposure was not acknowledged in communication materials to make them “accessible” to non-specialist audiences, EFSA claims
EFSA calls for information on FCM No. 19 and 20
European Food Safety Authority requests technical and toxicological information on two amines approved as additives in plastic food contact materials (FCMs) to review and potentially update initial assessments; declaration of intent to submit information required by January 20, 2020
Webinar: Chemical Footprint Project 2016 annual report
Chemical Footprint Project hosts webinar on July 14, 2016 providing a detailed look at its 2016 annual report
Disagreement over ECHA's SVHC database
Opposing positions taken by industry, NGOs, scientific expert with regard to ECHA’s planned database on SVHCs in products
EU bioeconomy strategy
EU Commission publishes updated strategy for developing ‘sustainable and circular bioeconomy’ in Europe