On July 7, 2022, the US General Services Administration (GSA) issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/07/2022-14403/general-services-administration-acquisition-regulation-gsar-single-use-plastics-and-packaging upon which public comments are due by September 6, 2022, seeking “… public feedback pertaining to the use of plastic consumed in both packaging and shipping, as well as other single-use plastics … that are used and […]
News and Updates
Role of the Chemical Industry in Addressing Sustainability Issues Addressed in National Academies Report
A July 21, 2022 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2022/07/the-importance-of-chemical-research-to-the-u-s-economy-new-report advises that “… Chemical research is critically important to the U.S. economy, and maintaining U.S. leadership in this sector will require continued and sustained support … This support should include federal agency funding for chemical research projects, private investment in research […]
Replacement of Single Use Plastic with Biodegradable Materials Reviewed
A June 29, 2022, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety article https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12986 by researchers with Italy University of Salerno report that “… Plastic pollution and food waste are two global issues with much in common. Plastic containers were introduced as a practical and easy remedy to improve food preservation and reduce the risk […]
US Plastic Recycling Progress Summarized
An August 11, 2022, Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) news release https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220811005497/en/New-Association-of-Plastic-Recyclers-State-of-the-Industry-Report-Shows-Strength-of-US-Plastic-Recycling reviewed an APR report, titled “Recommit, Reimagine, Rework Recycling:” “How public policy and investment in post-consumer plastic collection and processing can help to meet sustainability ambitions” – The report “… provides a data-driven update on the progress of plastic recycling in the United […]
Plastic, One of Many Contaminants of Concern in Drinking Water – Focus of White House Research Initiative
On August 5, 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/05/white-house-office-of-science-and-technology-policy-ostp-unveils-new-plan-to-advance-research-on-emerging-contaminants/ a report, titled “National Emerging Contaminants Research Initiative (NECRI),” which focuses on drinking water https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/08-2022-National-Emerging-Contaminants-Research-Initiative.pdf – The report “… outlines a Federal strategy to address critical research gaps related to detecting and assessing emerging contaminants in drinking water …” – […]
US Senate Approves Two Recycling Bills for House Consideration
A July 29, 2022, National Waste & Recycling Association news release https://wasterecycling.org/press_releases/senate-adopts-recycling-legislation-supported-by-nwra/ reports that on July 28, the US Senate passed S.3742, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2022 and S.3743 the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act – S 3742 “… requires EPA to establish a pilot grant program for improving recycling accessibility in […]
Red Lobster ESG Practices Challenged in California Court
A July 26, 2022 KLGates “Litigation Minute” https://www.klgates.com/Litigation-Minute-Red-Lobster-Complaint-Highlights-Threat-of-ESG-Litigation-to-the-Food-and-Beverage-Industry-7-26-2022 comments on a June 11, 2021 suit against Red Lobster: “… The food and beverage industry faces increasing scrutiny of its Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) practices … A recent class-action complaint filed against restaurant chain Red Lobster highlights how these consumers are seeking to challenge companies’ […]
Ability of Degraded Plastic to Stimulate Aquatic Webs Reported
The abstract of a July 26, 2022 Nature Communications article https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31691-9 by researchers with UK University of Cambridge and Germany University of Oldenburg reports that “… Abiotic and biotic degradation of plastics releases carbon-based substrates that are available for heterotrophic growth, but little is known about how these novel organic compounds influence microbial metabolism. Here […]
PepsiCo Closes $1.25 Billion 10-Year Green Bond Fund
A July 20, 2022 PepsiCo news release https://www.pepsico.com/our-stories/press-release/pepsico-issues-new-125-billion-10-year-green-bond-as-company-accelerates-pep-tra07202022 reports on “… closing of a new $1.25 billion 10-year Green Bond. The Company will use an amount equivalent to the net proceeds … to fund Eligible Green Projects … [including] … Regenerative agriculture … farmer training, practices to reduce fertilizer and watershed enhancement and improvement projects … Decarbonization and climate resilience … Circular […]
Plastic Particles in Human Blood Reported
The abstract of a May 2002 Environment International article https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199 by researchers with Netherlands Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam University report on the development of an analytical method for assessing “… polymer mass concentrations in human whole blood … This study’s goal was to develop a robust and sensitive sampling and analytical method … and […]