Fourth round of negotiations for a new global instrument on plastic pollution took place in Ottawa, Canada from April 23 – 29, 2024; member states agree on intersessional work to be carried out on financial mechanisms and chemicals of concern ahead of upcoming final session; no agreement on reducing primary plastic production; concerns raised over industry lobbyists outnumbering scientists and many national delegations; final INC-5 meeting set to take place in Busan, Republic of Korea on November 25 – December 1, 2024
May 17, 2024
DG SANTE updates on FCM regulation and BPA restriction
European Commission’s working group on food contact materials (FCMs) shares updates and timelines on revision of the FCM regulation and BPA restriction; ongoing FCM sustainability study will be completed by February 2025; BPA restriction to be sent to Parliament and Council in mid-July
March 28, 2024
European Parliament adopts its position on Green Claims Directive
Requires environmental claims to be verified by a third-party; addresses carbon offsetting schemes; disregards green claims on hazardous substances; vote will be followed up by new Parliament after elections in June
January 8, 2024
European Council adopts position on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
Maintains criteria that all packaging must be recyclable; introduces requirement for separate waste collection; tasks Commission with preparing a report on substances of concern and their impact on recycling, reuse, and chemical safety
November 28, 2023
European Parliament adopts amended Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
Includes ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and bisphenol A in food packaging and general packaging reduction targets; decreases reuse obligations
October 19, 2023
New database on global plastics laws and policies
Civil society organizations publish database to research, track, and visualize plastic legislation around the world; hope to reach scientists, policymakers, industry, journalists; tool launched in anticipation of the global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya in November
October 10, 2023
2023 FPF Workshop: Goals and policy processes for safe and sustainable FCMs
On the morning of the Food Packaging Forum’s 11th annual workshop, speakers share processes to measure sustainable food packaging while accounting for multiple concerns; three speakers share findings from developing frameworks to make packaging safer, account for tradeoffs, and reduce plastic packaging use; three speakers share how policy is developed at the United Nations and European Union
September 4, 2023
FPF comment: Canadian pollution prevention notice for plastic food packaging
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) submits comment to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on the development of a pollution prevention planning notice for food plastic packaging; FPF highlights aspects of chemical safety and circularity for ECCC to consider; primarily (i) chemical migration, (ii) supporting safe reuse, and (iii) standards for compostable materials
August 22, 2023
European Commission allows DEHCH for food contact
DEHCH deemed safe as additives in PVC for food contact; comes into effect 20 days after publication in EU’s Official Journal
August 10, 2023
16th amendment to EU Regulation 10/2011 on plastic FCMs now in force
EU amends plastic FCM regulation; adjusts specific migration limits for five phthalates; removes authorized use of two FCMs; adds five new authorized substances; came into force on August 1, 2023
