Boston Consulting Group survey interviews 15,000 consumers across Europe, North America, South America; finds consumer environmental awareness and preference for recyclable packaging unaffected by pandemic, young consumers willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, miseducation exists about real recycling rates
Californian District Court holds acrylamide lawsuits
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California grants preliminary injunction halting new lawsuits to enforce the Proposition 65 warning requirement for acrylamide in food and beverages; Californian Chamber of Commerce claims no scientific consensus, argues labels misleading consumers, unconstitutionally forcing speech; only applies to new acrylamide lawsuits; motion for summary judgment denied
UNWRAPPED Project releases FCM factsheets
Zero Waste Europe announces publication of nine factsheets as part of the UNWRAPPED Project; developed to help communicate human health risks associated with chemicals in food packaging; experts call for industry and policymakers to limit single-use packaging, take precautionary approach towards hazardous chemicals in food packaging
Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging
Article in PLOS Biology discusses hazardous chemicals in plastics; highlights chemicals as critical but often missing aspect in plastic pollution discussion; proposes rethinking current approach to plastic packaging toxicity testing
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)
Virginia bans polystyrene and single-use plastics
US state governor passes legislation banning polystyrene foam food packaging partially by 2023 and fully by 2025; sets penalty of $50 a day, civil organizations to be exempted; signed executive order regulating phase-out of non-reusable plastics from public institutions by July 21, 2021
EFSA guide on approval of substances in plastic FCMs
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes administrative guide on submitting applications for approval of substances to be used in plastic food contact materials (FCMs); describes procedures, timelines for handling applications; will be updated as necessary
Survey reveals Asian consumers’ concerns on packaging sustainability
Consultancy McKinsey & Company presents results from survey on consumers’ attitudes towards packaging and concerns around sustainability in ten emerging markets; finds greatest consumer concern in China, India and Indonesia; suggests as first action to decrease packaging complexity, reduce unnecessary packaging, exchange multi- with mono-layer materials
FDA adds 18 new substances to FCS inventory
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds 18 new entries to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS)