EU Commission releases proposal for EU directive on reducing marine litter; reduced consumption, market restrictions, redesign suggested for certain single-use plastic items; public consultation open until July 24, 2018
Nestlé steps towards packaging commitment
Food and beverage company Nestlé outlines specific steps in reaching its commitment of 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025
EPR regulations expanded in Canada and US
Canadian province of Ontario expands extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for paper packaging from covering half of recycling cost to full cost by 2023; adds single-use food packaging to program; legislatures in US states of Maine and Oregon pass EPR legislation that includes food packaging; governors of both states need to sign for bills to become law
Measuring trade-offs between packaging waste and food waste
Australian Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Center surveys consumer perceptions of packaging’s role in encouraging or preventing food waste; United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) breaks down results from 33 life cycle analyses comparing packaging and food waste; makes structured recommendations for when packaging or food waste costs are higher based on food type, consumer and regulatory support, and strength of local waste management systems
Studies highlight presence of antioxidants in Chinese food contact materials
Recent studies explore the presence and migration of diverse synthetic antioxidants in Chinese food contact materials (FCMs); both phosphite antioxidants and synthetic phenolic antioxidants are commonly found; typically, FCMs contain several mg of synthetic antioxidants per kg FCM and may be the primary source of exposure to synthetic antioxidants; some commonly found antioxidants are suspected endocrine disruptors
What are bioplastics? New fact sheet answers common questions
Food Packaging Forum publishes fact sheet about bioplastics; clarifies the meaning of the terms “bio-based” and “biodegradable;” discusses aspects of bioplastic production, chemical safety, and implications for bioplastics use and disposal
Plastic Health Summit 2019
Jane Muncke from the Food Packaging Forum presents on the chemicals that can be present in plastic food packaging and highlights the unknowns surrounding non-intentionally added substances (NIAS)
FPF Workshop 2019: Proceedings online
7th annual Food Packaging Forum workshop focuses on accelerating science and innovation to improve the safety of food contact articles; video recordings, presentation slides, summary articles now available online
Webinar on chemicals in plastic consumer products
Lisa Zimmerman from PlastX project to present recent study results in Food Packaging Forum webinar on September 24, 2019; study investigates in vitro toxicity and chemical composition of plastic consumer products
New book on chemicals in politics and everyday life
Danish Ecological Council published e-book on chemical regulation, EDCs, nanomaterials and mixture effects