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New Zealand and two Australian states phase out single-use plastics

New Zealand Ministry for the Environment announces plan to ban many hard-to-recycle and single-use plastic items by mid-2025; includes food packaging made from polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and some degradable plastics, plus all drink stirrers, single-use tableware, and fruit labels; Western Australia moves Plan for Plastics ahead 4 years, banning most single-use plasticware by end of 2021; New South Wales to eliminate most single-use plasticware within a year

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JRC Symposium compares microplastic analysis methods

European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) symposium summarizes current approaches for microplastic monitoring; research institutions present results of 4 inter-laboratory microplastic analysis comparison studies; no ‘one-size-fits-all’ analytical method, presenters emphasize need for harmonization; Commission outlines policy needs

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EFSA updates criteria for evaluating PET recycling processes

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) updates its guidelines for assessing PET recycling processes for materials intended for food contact; applicants must include information on collection, pre-processing, decontamination, post-processing, and intended use; potential dietary exposure of contaminants must not exceed 0.0025 μg/kg body weight per day

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ECHA: 2016 SVHC roadmap report

ECHA releases annual report on progress in identifying substances of very high concern; calls on companies to improve REACH registration data to assess chemicals’ hazards and risks; will focus more on groups of structurally similar substances