Topics
plastics
February 9, 2022
Scientists develop holistic conceptual framework to characterize and rank the environmental risks of plastic polymers; tool can support targeted investment and mitigation strategies
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 8, 2022
Scientific study compares chemicals migrating from new plastic sport bottles and bottles after dishwashing and one year in use; detects over 400 plastic-related compounds including oligomers and aromatic amines; finds dishwashing to increase migration
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 4, 2022
US Plastics Pact, whose signatories produce 33% of packaging in the US by weight, publishes list of eleven plastic food packaging materials and food contact chemicals that are “problematic and unnecessary”; includes cutlery, polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PFAS, and carbon black
Reading time: 0 minutes
January 26, 2022
Researchers analyze plastic extracts for their chemical composition and promotion of obesity; find one-third induce fat production (adipogenesis); detect several thousand chemicals in the extracts, including known metabolism-disrupting chemicals
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 26, 2022
Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article discusses changing attitudes towards plastic in home kitchens; outlines the relatively recent history of plastic in the kitchen and recent cultural shifts towards using more reusable materials for storing and transporting food; FPF compares different reusable options, consumers encouraged to not forget about chemical migration and impacts on human health
Reading time: 3 minutes
January 25, 2022
European Commission (EC) opens a public comment period on biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics; consultation will advise EC during development of new policies for these plastics; three areas of particular focus: sustainability of feedstocks, verification of biodegradation claims, and “widespread confusion” among consumers on terms and proper disposal routes; comment period open until March 15, 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
January 19, 2022
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) comments on EU draft regulation for recycled plastics FCMs; exemptions for the risk assessment of “incidental contamination” and for pre-market assessment of novel technologies likely to increase hazardous chemical exposure for the general public
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 18, 2022
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
Reading time: 3 minutes
January 18, 2022
UK Parliamentary Committee plans to hold session to “scrutinize the ways in which the UK Government might reach its own target of eliminating all ‘avoidable’ plastic waste by 2042”; session to be streamed live
Reading time: 0 minutes
January 18, 2022
Researchers from several European and Chinese institutions develop methods to explore chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs); report styrene migration from different polystyrene FCMs into several food matrices; detect photoinitiators in paper FCMs and chlorinated paraffins in green tea and its packaging; find irradiation treatment of metalized polypropylene to reduce migration of tested chemicals
Reading time: 7 minutes
