policy & regulation
29 Nov 2021
--- Environmental NGOs have warned postponing an EU ban on microplastics by just one year could result in the equivalent of 1.6 billion plastic bottles entering the natural environment. An EU proposal to restrict...
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25 Nov 2021
--- The UK is planning to expand its single-use plastic ban following the passing of the country’s long-awaited Environment Act. A week after the Act was made law, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs...
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24 Nov 2021
--- Australia has “no hope” of achieving its 2025 national recycling targets, according to environmental activists, who are expressing dismay at the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation’s (APCO) recent...
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23 Nov 2021
--- The EU is coming under fire from a range of European, national and international recycling industry associations for its proposed amendments to waste shipment regulations. Governments will have three years to adapt to the...
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23 Nov 2021
--- The European Commission (EC) is proposing new rules to curb EU-driven deforestation in a move welcomed by the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) and its members BillerudKorsnäs, Elopak, SIG, Stora...
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23 Nov 2021
--- The Japanese government is introducing new labeling legislation for plant-based food packaging amid efforts to ease restrictions and increase consumer transparency. In a press conference, government minister Taro Kono...
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22 Nov 2021
--- The US government is supporting calls for a global treaty to curb plastic pollution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the announcement at a recent UN climate summit in Kenya, marking a U-turn on the Trump...
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TerraCycle’s Tom Szaky responds to incineration exposé: Waste exports would “make no economic sense”
22 Nov 2021
--- TerraCycle is vehemently denying allegations made by investigative journalists that it has been intentionally exporting and incinerating plastic waste it had pledged to recycle in the UK. The recycling company is also...
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18 Nov 2021
--- Scotland is set to further delay its long-planned deposit return system (DRS) for beverage packaging until late 2023, over three years after the plan was unveiled. Environmental campaigners are accusing the government of...
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17 Nov 2021
--- Plastics converters are facing a sharp rise in costs as major polymer producers incur surcharges from soaring energy prices throughout Europe. Trade associations warn of impending chaos, economic devastation and worsening...
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16 Nov 2021
--- The EU Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) is hindering bioplastics’ potential for improving the packaging industry’s environmental footprint, according to specialty resin producer Sukano. The European...
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16 Nov 2021
--- According to Huhtamaki CEO Charles Héaulmé, recyclable packaging is more beneficial to the expanding circular economy than compostable alternatives. “Recycling is more important than...
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16 Nov 2021
--- A widely publicized study has revealed regulatory “safe” limits on human exposure to phthalates may be set at levels not sufficiently protecting human health. The new analysis of 38 human studies identified...
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15 Nov 2021
--- SC Johnson is appealing a ruling made against advertising claims the company made that its Ziploc plastic bags have “unbeatable” protection, freshness and technology. The household cleaning supplies manufacturer...
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15 Nov 2021
--- TerraCycle is facing increasing public scrutiny after being exposed for allegedly exporting its UK recycling waste to Bulgaria for incineration. The company claims the export resulted from a single human error and is now...
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America’s “broken” waste system: Consumer Brands Association calls for federal recycling definitions
12 Nov 2021
--- Ahead of America Recycles Week, the Consumer Brands Association has published a new report illustrating how standardized recycling definitions are the gateway to fixing America’s “broken” waste management...
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12 Nov 2021
--- According to UK environmental charity Waste Aid, there can be no packaging circular economy unless material recovery is at the heart of waste management systems. “Otherwise, the theory just does not work,”...
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11 Nov 2021
--- China has announced new restrictions on excessive packaging, requiring all food and cosmetics producers to adhere to specific guidelines determining the volume of packaging allowed in proportion to a product. The legislation...
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11 Nov 2021
--- Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy is launching the two-year Composting Consortium to increase the recovery of compostable food packaging and pursue circular outcomes. “As the market for...
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05 Nov 2021
--- UK trade union GMB is enforcing a waste collection strike in Glasgow, UK, as the UN COP26 climate conference takes place in the city. Trash mounting in the streets is raising stark questions about the connection between...
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