According to the abstract of a paper to be published in the March 2023 issue of Science of The Total Environment https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972208295X by researchers with Virginia Institute of Marine Science, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research and others “… Interaction between microplastics and environmental pathogens is poorly understood … A […]
News and Updates
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Single Use vs Reusable Restaurant Plastic Takeout Food Containers Studied
According to the abstract of a Resources, Conservation and Recycling article https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106862 by researchers with the University of Michigan “… Single-use packaging generates millions of tonnes of plastic waste per year – a circular economy waste-reduction strategy is to implement reusable container systems for restaurant takeout. We developed a parametric life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost model and […]
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) – Kentucky Issues “Energy Company Boycott” List
On January 3, 2023, the Kentucky Treasurer released https://www.kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=KentuckyStateTreasurer&prId=101 “… a list of 11 financial companies that are engaged in energy company boycotts… ” defined https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/22rs/sb205.html as: “… without an ordinary business purpose, refusing to deal with, terminating business activities with, or otherwise taking any action that is intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations with a company […]
Microplastics – Remain Preserved Once Incorporated into Sediments Until Disturbed
According to a November 14, 2022, Environmental Science and Technology article https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c04264 by researchers with Spain Autonomous University of Barcelona and Denmark Aalborg University “ … there is a lack of robust data on the historical evolution of microplastic (MP) pollution in the sediment … we investigate the fate of MPs once buried in the […]
Microplastics – Aggressive Marine Mitigation Emphasized
According to the abstract of a brief communications article in Nature Geoscience https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-022-01096-w by researchers with Germany GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel: “… Climate change and plastics pollution are dual threats to marine environments. Here we use biogeochemical and microplastic modelling to show that even if there is complete removal of microplastics and cessation of […]
UPDATE – Environmental Marketing Claims – FTC Seeks Public Comments by February 21, 2023, on Improving its “Green Guides”
On December 20, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-12-20/pdf/2022-27558.pdf a request for public comment on its “’Green Guides’ for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims” https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/green-guides “… soliciting comments about the efficiency, costs, benefits, and regulatory impact of the Guides to determine whether to retain, modify, or rescind them …” – Specific issues upon which […]
Microplastics – Analytical Methods – Raman Spectroscopy – Reference Library of Polymer Categories Announced
According to the abstract of a December 24, 2022 Nature Scientific Data article https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01883-5 by researchers with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and S & N Labs: “… identifying the polymer composition is key for resolving the material origin, geographic source, and ecosystem life cycle of ocean plastics … Raman spectroscopy is an increasingly preferred identification method […]
Environmental Marketing Claims – FTC to Seek Public Comments on Improving Its “Green Guides”
A December 14, 2022, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) news release https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/12/ftc-seeks-public-comment-potential-updates-its-green-guides-use-environmental-marketing-claims advises that the Commission has approved for publication the Federal Register in mid-January the opening of a 60 day public comment period on its “‘Green Guides’ for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims” https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/green-guides – Specific issues upon which FTC expects to receive comments, […]
Reasons Why a Public Private Partnership for the Discovery of New Food Packaging Materials should be Established
On December 15, 2022, Jack Cooper, Executive Director of the Animal Digestible Food Packaging Initiative http://www.adfpi.org presented a fifteen-minute PowerPoint during the concluding session of the three day virtual Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IANFS) Science Innovation Showcase https://iafns.org/event/2022-showcase/ – He commented that for the following reasons the food industry should […]
Plastic Waste – Senate EPW Subcommittee Sets Dec 15 Hearing on S.5163, the “Protecting Communities from Plastics Act”
Witnesses for the December 15, 2022 Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight hearing https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=D8583DB7-BFEE-480C-BBE3-AC1DCE04711B are: John Peterson “Pete” Myers, Ph.D. Founder, CEO & Chief Scientist, Environmental Health Sciences https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-myers-7bb15b1/ – Judith Enck, President, Beyond Plastics https://www.beyondplastics.org/about – Matt Seaholm, CEO, Plastics Industry […]