Zero Waste Europe slams EU lobbyists for PFAS pollution crisis

Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) has released a statement asserting that industrial lobbying is a key factor behind the EU’s rising PFAS pollution levels. ZWE’s reaction comes in response to an investigation by Le Monde, which calculated that €100 billion (US$103 billion) is the annual cost “Europeans will have to pay to eliminate PFAS from their environment.”

“PFAS are used in various consumer products, including packaging. It’s reasonable to infer that the packaging industry, which plays a crucial role in containing and protecting these products, could be involved in the PFAS lifecycle,” Dorota Napierska, a Toxic-Free Circular Economy officer at ZWE, tells Packaging Insights.

“It could be argued that the packaging industry has a responsibility to explore and adopt alternatives too,” she adds. 

Napierska further points to a report by the Corporate Europe Observatory, published this week, titled “Chemical reaction: Inside the corporate fight against the EU’s PFAS restriction.”

“To curb PFAS use and pollution, this report recommends halting private European Commission lobby meetings with industry groups seeking exemptions. At present, they are potentially undermining the work of the European Chemicals Agency, which should not be interfered with.”

“Industrial lobbying”

Napierska argues that the article by Le Monde shows that PFAS pollution is not just a “public health crisis” but also an example of “industrial lobbying and systemic inaction.” 

Dorota Napierska, ZWE’s toxic-free circular economy officer (Image credit: ZWE).She says that industries are investing millions of euros to protect their profits. “The public shoulders the far greater cost — paying billions for clean-up efforts and skyrocketing healthcare expenses.”

The EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation does aim to address the issue of PFAS, while tackling environmental concerns.

“PFAS pollution affects everyone, with these chemicals present even in unborn babies, highlighting the urgent need for collective action.”

“While blood testing can reveal exposure, it may do more to raise awareness than directly protect individuals. The emerging focus is on PFAS contamination in food, underscoring the critical importance of mobilizing efforts.”

Searching for solutions

Janek Vähk, Zero Pollution policy manager at ZWE, says that: “Our research across five countries shows significant contamination in areas around waste incinerators.”

“These ‘forever chemicals’ are extraordinarily resistant to breakdown and cannot be destroyed at standard incineration temperatures. Ironically, the industry’s touted solution — incineration — is not mitigating the problem but worsening it.”

Napierska tells us: “As pointed out by Vähk, incineration temperatures are insufficient to address PFAS pollution. They actually contribute to it, worsening the situation.”

The incineration of plastic waste is worsening Europe's PFAS problem.“Aside from the above, potential steps could be to raise awareness about responsible waste management, increase recycling to ensure less waste ends up in incineration, and, as we have called for in the past, a moratorium on new incinerators as the EU is currently overcapacity.”

Discussing the extent to which the development of plastic alternatives such as bioplastics is a viable solution, Napierska says: “Alternatives aren’t given sufficient recognition, so exploring bioplastics makes sense.”

“The viability of bioplastics depends on factors such as their composition, biodegradability, scalability, cost-effectiveness and potential unintended consequences. An evaluation needs to be thorough.”

Last year, a study conducted by the Food Packaging Forum Foundation in Switzerland found that the majority of PFAS used in F&B packaging are unregulated and untested for health hazards.