Topics
plastics
August 13, 2021
Scientific study performs hazard prioritization on chemicals in printing inks and adhesives applied to plastic food packaging; uses publicly available “substances of concern” lists and an in silico tool; identifies 636 high and 1024 medium priority substances of which 696 ranked as “very high priority substances” by experts
Reading time: 4 minutes
August 5, 2021
House Bill 9147 would ban single-use plastic tableware within four years and drinking straws, stirrers, candy sticks, bags thinner than ten microns, and other small single-use plastics within one year; bill must now pass the country’s Senate in order to become law
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 29, 2021
Study investigates reproductive toxicity of environmental concentrations of polystyrene (PS) microplastics to male mice; further examines underlying molecular mechanism; study is first to find long-term PS microplastic exposure affects sperm quality and testosterone levels in mice
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 20, 2021
Understanding Packaging (UP) Scorecard evaluates and compares impacts of foodware and food packaging; beta version of the tool published, new features and expanded product coverage planned; developed by a multistakeholder collaboration including the Food Packaging Forum
Topics: circular economy, glass, LCA, metals, paper & board, plastics, pollution, recycling, scorecard
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 15, 2021
Scientists from Environmental Defense Fund and Green Science Policy Institute find fluorine gas treatment used on “millions of polyethylene and polypropylene containers each year” including those for food contact; treatment can produce PFAS that migrate from the material
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 8, 2021
Plastics are complex materials with many chemical and physical properties; when considering chemical exposure, “safe” can be difficult to define; the Food Packaging Forum provides four tips for safer use of reusable food packaging
Reading time: 3 minutes
July 7, 2021
American Association for the Advancement of Science publishes special journal issue on plastics; includes reviews, perspectives, and news on various components of the plastics value chain; particular focus on waste management technologies that may contribute to a circular plastics economy, effects of plastic pollution on animals and the environment, support for a UN agreement on plastics
Topics: plastics
Reading time: 4 minutes
July 6, 2021
International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) report details current recycling schemes; concludes waste management techniques not “capable of alleviating” the growing plastic pollution crisis; recommends government actions to reduce plastic production; Break Free From Plastic follows up on 215 packaging commitments from top plastic pollution producing companies: 18 projects with no information after press release, few projects lessen plastic production; Upstream compares single-use and reusable service ware for environmental impact and business cost, finds “reuse wins”
Reading time: 4 minutes
July 5, 2021
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) releases new fact sheets on plastic, paper and board, metal, glass, and multimaterial food packaging; address material properties, applications, chemical migration, end-of-life, and recyclability
Topics: glass, human health, metals, migration, multi-material, paper and board, plastics, recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
June 22, 2021
Scientists investigate plastic monomers, additives, and processing aids for their chemical identity, use, and hazard classification; identify >10,000 chemicals; 24% categorized as substances of potential concern of which the majority is not currently subject to management measures; emphasize information gaps regarding substance properties and uses
Reading time: 2 minutes
