American Beverage Association launches initiative to bring $400 million in investment to improve recycled plastics quality and availability in U.S.; Tomra aims to enable 40% of global plastic packaging to be recycled by 2030
ECHA: Registrations must ‘reflect the most up-to-date knowledge’
European Chemicals Agency reminds companies of legal obligation to review and update REACH registration dossiers ‘when new information becomes available’
Scientists warn over-production of chemicals altering planetary systems
Peer-reviewed study finds pollution from synthetic chemical production and plastics is now altering planetary systems vital to human survival; recommends implementing cap on chemical production and release similar to greenhouse gases
A novel concept for improved safety assessment of FCMs guided by public health concerns
Over 20 scientists present a vision for safer food contact materials (FCMs); propose new approach to test all chemicals that migrate from final product for their contribution to highly prevalent chronic diseases
EFSA’s activities on emerging risks
European Food Safety Authority publishes report summarizing activities related to emerging risk identification in 2018; considers food contact additives and related challenges of substituting materials
EDCs in plastics cost the US $250 billion in healthcare annually
Scientists calculate US health care costs caused by a well-studied subset of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics; estimate exposure cost $250 billion in 2018, equivalent to 1.22% of Gross Domestic Product; recommend addressing chemicals of concern in global plastics treaty to reduce disease burden and costs
EDC journal editors call upon scientists to cooperate in EDC research and policy
Editors-in-Chief publish response to Dietrich et al., European EDC policy to be based on state-of-the-science, not outdated assumptions
EU to ban landfill for recyclables
European Commission announces a ban of landfills for recyclables by 2025; industry comments
McDonald’s to trial new packaging
Two Canadian concept restaurant locations to trial new packaging including fully re-pulpable cups, fiber lids, wooden cutlery, paper straws; items could be rolled out widely in the future
ChemSec: SIN List chemicals for Candidate List
International Chemical Secretariat responds to ECHA’s analysis of SIN List, deems current regulatory process too slow, demands adding all SIN List chemicals on SVHC Candidate List for authorization