Topics
regulation
May 31, 2021
The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM) publishes “technical guidance relating to the requirements, compliance testing and supporting documentation for paper and board materials” used in food contact materials and articles; includes overview of European FCM regulations, aims to harmonize paper and board regulation; provides instructions to test compliance, detect recycled materials, prepare supporting documentation
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 26, 2021
Chilean legislature unanimously passes comprehensive single-use and recycled plastics regulations; regulation bans single-use plastic use within a food establishment, compels markets and convenience stores to only sell recyclable beverage containers, beverage containers must contain plastic collected and recycled within Chile; regulations come into effect over 3 years
Reading time: 1 minute
May 26, 2021
Department of Ecology (DoE) for US state of Washington publishes document outlining scope of second alternatives assessment for PFAS in food packaging; defines five specific food packaging applications to focus on: flat serviceware, open-top containers, closed containers, bags and sleeves, and bowls; defines PFAS alternatives to evaluate; currently accepting comments
Topics: PFAS, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
May 18, 2021
Governor for US state of Washington signs Senate Bill 5022; bans expanded polystyrene foam takeaway containers by June 2024; beginning January 1, 2022 all single-use service ware only given to customers upon request; adds minimum recycled content requirement to many plastic containers and trash bags; no longer requires triangular arrow recycle symbol on hard plastic products
Reading time: 1 minute
May 5, 2021
European Commission (EC) releases roadmap for revision of the Regulation on hazard classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP); aims to outline which regulatory and non-regulatory changes to consider in cost-benefit analyses during forthcoming impact assessment; wants to explore opportunities to use new technological tools; accepting public comment until June 1, 2021
Reading time: 1 minute
May 3, 2021
International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP) publishes joint statement from scientists critiquing European Commission’s (EC) draft guidelines for polymer registration under REACH; statement asks for more inclusive criteria for polymers requiring registration (PRR), consideration of micro- and nano-plastic hazards; statement open for signatures
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 29, 2021
US states Oklahoma and Arizona pass bills to support chemical recycling facilities; at the same time, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers whether to include chemical recycling in national recycling calculations
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 28, 2021
European Commission, following its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, tasks ECHA with defining hazard classes for revision of the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) regulation; to include persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) chemicals, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and various classifications of toxicity
Reading time: 1 minute
April 26, 2021
European Commission (EC) releases study mapping current sustainability initiatives and research applicable to creating sustainable-by-design criteria; particular focus on materials and chemicals, including a section assessing nanomaterials; finds few policies related to the production phase of a material’s life cycle; next steps are to identify specific aspects of sustainability to be covered in the criteria and how to evaluate them
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 16, 2021
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) releases legislative guide discussing four approaches to reduce plastic waste generation; includes single-use plastic bans, tax and economic incentives, product standards, extended producer responsibility; advocates for multipronged, complementary regulations
Reading time: 1 minute
