Episode of The Indisposable Podcast discusses coronavirus pandemic and how reusable packaging could expand and innovate to help businesses protect public health, save money, and increase resilience; argue that a shift backward to single-use packaging not needed
Pandemic providing opportunity for packaging innovation, resilience
ZWE report identifies climate benefits of reusable packaging
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) publishes study comparing 32 life cycle assessments (LCAs) to evaluate single-use and reusable packaging; finds reusable glass bottles have 85% fewer carbon emissions than single-use with highest impacts from transport; breakeven point reached after two to three reuse cycles; suggests five key measures to increase sustainability of reusable packaging
Metals in ceramics and crystalware
EU reference laboratory for FCMs tests metal release from decorated ceramics and crystalware into wine and wine-simulants; migration of lead, cadmium and other metals detected
The Guardian investigates PFAS in blood, food packaging, and cookware
Journalist from The Guardian tests household items and his own blood for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in partnership with the University of Notre Dame and the Silent Spring Institute; analysis confirms presence of four types of PFAS in blood serum, 15 household products, food packaging and cookware; identified substances include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid (PFHxS)
New method for identifying nonylphenol in FCM
Nestlé researchers publish new study showing analytical method permitting identification of the NIAS nonylphenol
Researchers report NIAS migration from baby food pouches
Study performs migration testing on 79 plastic baby food pouches; finds four bisphenols, five phthalic acid diesters in targeted analysis and 26 more in suspect screening including 23 non-intentionally added substances (NIAS); NIAS adipic acid – diethylene glycol exceeds the threshold of toxicological concern in 40% of the pouches
California legislature rejects solid waste bill
Assembly fails to pass bill AB-1080; would have required 75% reduction of waste generated from single-use packaging, all packaging to be recyclable or compostable; passes separate bill requiring 50% recycled content in plastic bottles by 2030
Health effects: How to identify causation?
Royal Society of Medicine hosts anniversary workshop on milestone work for environmental epidemiology by researcher Bradford Hill; commemorates his 1965 lecture ‘Environment and disease: Association or causation?’
Migration of metals from ceramic and glass FCMs
EU reference laboratory for FCMs publishes report on interlaboratory comparison exercise to determine metal migration from decorated ceramic and glass tableware