Topics
plastics
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
January 13, 2022
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) releases report outlining the goals, considerations, and trade-offs when designing a more ‘sustainable’ plastic product; encourages transparency in chemical composition and manufacturing processes through the supply chain
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 12, 2022
Ghana National Plastic Action Partnership publishes roadmap to reduce plastic use and pollution in the country; includes 11 case studies of projects already underway; outlines strategies for both public and private institutions to contribute to the vision
Reading time: 2 minutes
December 24, 2021
Canada moves forward with domestic ban of six single-use plastic products; targets checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws; ban may come into force before end of 2022; public consultation until March 5, 2022; England considering similar ban with consultation until February 12, 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
December 23, 2021
Scientists review 68 corporate sustainability reports of major food and beverage companies on plastic pollution and packaging; find most reports do not address plastic pollution and focus on end-of-life options instead of sustainable packaging solutions
Reading time: 2 minutes
