Topics
recycling
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 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
December 13, 2021
Consulting company Gartner Inc. predicts 90% of sustainable packaging commitments will not be met by 2025
Reading time: 1 minute
December 9, 2021
Scientists develop automated non-target approach to identify and risk assess unknown chemicals in food contact plastics; detect over 300 chemical features and tentatively identify 83 compounds in a recycled polyethylene film used as proof-of-concept
Reading time: 2 minutes
December 8, 2021
European Commission (EC) proposes regulation simplifying the process for the development, certification, and use of recycled plastic food contact materials (FCMs) in the EU; would replace earlier regulation (EC) No 282/2008; open for public comment until January 10, 2022
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 23, 2021
Finds global virgin plastic production for signatory brands and retailers has likely peaked; progress so far driven by recycling, but warns recycling is not the solution and elimination of single-use packaging urgently needed; separate reports find US polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle recycling rates decreasing and Australia not meeting plastic recycling targets
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 18, 2021
Researchers analyze options to increase recycling rates; laboratory study reports using untargeted migrants analysis as a feasible tool to discern recycled from virgin polyethylene (PE); stakeholder analysis finds equal involvement of all relevant actors needed to improve PET plastic recycling
Reading time: 3 minutes
November 16, 2021
New strategy sets out five objectives including improving markets for recycled commodities, increasing collection, and standardizing measurements; sets nationwide recycling rate target of 50% by 2030; agency to work with stakeholders over coming months on implementation
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 3, 2021
Minutes available from recent meetings of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) working groups on food contact materials (FCMs), bisphenol A (BPA), recycling plastics, phthalates, and extraction solvents
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 22, 2021
Five articles discuss future recycling and/or consumer waste sorting; outline future recycling technologies and recycled plastic applications; identify gaps between recycling technologies and targets of multi-material multilayer plastic packaging; find consumers wrongly dispose bioplastics and that packaging design affects sorting behavior; show single-use bag bans able to increase recycling contamination
Reading time: 6 minutes