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UK – The launch of Scotland’s proposed deposit return scheme (DRS) could face delays following reports that the UK Government intends to block it. According to The Guardian, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has urged the Scottish Government to rethink its flagship recycling policy. The scheme will allow customers to pay a £0.20 (US$0.24) deposit when buying drinks in a single-use…
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UK – Eleven UK food businesses have penned an open letter calling for clearer rules on labeling after the deaths of two Pret a Manger customers who suffered allergic reactions to undeclared ingredients. The letter is addressed to officials, including government ministers, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Food and Drink Federation, argues the FSA needs to “make a…
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USA – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing new requirements for tobacco product manufacturers regarding the manufacture, design, packing and storage of their products. These proposed requirements would help protect public health by, among other things, minimizing or preventing contamination and limiting additional risks by ensuring product consistency. Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the FDA’s Center for…
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USA – The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released proposals for new regulatory requirements to give consumers a clearer understanding on the voluntary ‘Product of the USA’ label attached to products. According to the proposed rule, meat, poultry, and egg products may only use the voluntary “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” label claim if the animals used…
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AUSTRALIA – Supermarket chains ALDI, Coles and Woolworths have jointly announced plans to resume soft plastic recycling in Australia following the suspension of the REDcycle program. Under the new ‘Roadmap to Restart,’ the group aims to pilot in-store collection at certain stores later this year. The program is dependent on the processing of nearly 12,500 tonnes of leftover plastic from…
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GERMANY – The German government has backed a draft law to charge companies and manufacturers of single-use plastic products to cover for the cost of collection, cleaning and disposal of single-use plastic. From next year, the authorities say the cost of cleaning public spaces could be passed on to corporations rather than local councils following a law passed by the…
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BELGIUM – US-based adhesives manufacturing company, H.B. Fuller has recently joined RecyClass as part of its effort to drive sustainability. RecyClass is a comprehensive cross-industry initiative open to companies actively looking to improve the circularity of plastic packaging and to contribute toward the harmonization of recyclability and recycled content practices across Europe. H.B. Fuller develops adhesives used in many items…
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SOUTH AFRICA – National verification and standards organization, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has warned against vague claims that plastics are environment-friendly or nonpolluting. SABS says manufacturers that wish to claim their plastic packaging is degradable need to subject the packaging to the relevant testing and certification requirements of the newly published South African National Standard (SANS) 1728.…
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SOUTH AFRICA – The Competition Tribunal has issued an order prohibiting the proposed merger between paper and packaging company Corruseal Group and recycled containerboard and paper company Neopak Holdings. The Tribunal has stated that the merger is likely to result in a substantial prevention of competition in the upstream and downstream markets. “The Commission found that the merged entity will…
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COLOMBIA – Colombia has launched a Plastics Pact to tackle the environmental impacts of plastics and support international work developing a circular economy for plastics, becoming the second Latin American country to do so. The Colombia Plastics Pact was developed and launched through a partnership between The Business Commitment to Recycling (CEMPRE) and The Waste and Research Action Programme (WRAP)…
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