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Advocates urge Mass. to ban food packaging chemicals
News:And even though per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, did not come into existence until around the 1940s, today, "virtually everyone on the planet has PFAS in their blood," Clean Water Action Senior Policy Advocate Laura Spark told lawmakers on Thursday.
"As we continue to make and use PFAS, they continue to build up in our bodies and in the bodies of wildlife," Spark said at a Public Health Committee hearing.
Environmental and public health advocates urged the panel to advance legislation (H 2348, S 1494) that would ban the use of certain chemicals classified as PFAS in food packaging. Manufacturers opposed the bill as drafted, and recommended a later compliance deadline should the bill move forward.
Experts have known for about two decades that many forms of paper in food packaging have been treated with PFAS, which can leach out of bags and containers and into food itself, according to Clint Richmond of the Sierra Club.
Warning that use of the substances is "everywhere," Richmond said plastic packaging containing PFAS is often disposed of into trash or landfills, which "concentrates" the chemicals' potency.
"We can't have PFAS jeopardizing the health of consumers, creating toxic litter, contaminating recycling, polluting the air and contaminating drinking water and composting that could be used in agriculture," he said.
The bills, filed by Rep. Jack Lewis in the House and Sen. Michael Moore in the Senate, would both prohibit the manufacture, sale or use of food packaging with "any amount" of PFAS added intentionally. The ban would take effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
Those chemicals, which scientists have found take a long time to break down and can lead to negative health outcomes in humans, are drawing more scrutiny at the federal and state government levels.
Some kinds of PFAS known as long chains have already been phased out by many manufacturers and face substantial regulation, according to Shawn Swearingen, director for the Alliance for Telomer Chemistry Stewardship at the American Chemistry Council.
"Not all PFAS is the same," he said.
Swearingen, who said his membership represents roughly 90 percent of food packaging manufacturers, voiced opposition to the bills as drafted but not to the idea of state regulation more broadly.
He asked the Public Health Committee to amend the bills to push the effective date to Dec. 31, 2023 and allow businesses to continue selling and distributing products containing PFAS that are already "in commerce" in Massachusetts.
That later deadline, Swearingen said, would align with an agreement the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and manufacturers reached last summer to phase out and discontinue sales of PFAS products in fiber-based food packaging by Jan. 1, 2024.
"As reflected in its announcement of this agreement, the FDA concluded this phase-out period is needed to avoid unnecessary food supply chain and market disruptions, as we're still seeing in logistics and supply chain issues today," Swearingen said.
Several other states, including neighbors Connecticut, New York, Vermont and Maine, have already banned the use of PFAS in food packaging, according to the Sierra Club's Richmond.
In the fiscal 2021 state budget, the Legislature convened an interagency task force to study contamination from the long-lasting, man-made chemicals. That group has already explored the role of the chemicals in firefighting foams and faces a Dec. 31 deadline to submit recommendations to the Legislature for how to rein in contamination.
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AR Packaging launches Ecoflex® mono-material for thermoformed applications
As world mono-material plastic packaging film consumption is forecast to grow during 2020–25 at an annual average rate of 3.9% to 26.03 million tonnes ($70.9 billion) , AR Packaging is meeting the challenge by launching Ecoflex® - its 100% recyclable mono polyethylene film for thermoforming that provides a sustainable alternative to PA-based materials, whilst fully meeting OPRL guidelines.
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GUALAPACK ACCELERATES SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IN BRAZIL
Gualapack Spa is announcing its plans for expansion in Brazil, as part of the Group’s continued efforts for a sustainable, global growth through vertical integration.
Gualapack strongly pursues international development to support its positioning on the global market as the world leader in pre-made spouted pouches and a global player in the flexible packaging industry. Brazil has been a strategic area for the company's growth since 2015, when the Group opened the dedicated subsidiary Gualapack Brasil in Iperó / São Paulo by merging with pouch producer Tradbor.
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GUALAPACK ACCELERATES SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IN BRAZIL
Gualapack Spa is announcing its plans for expansion in Brazil, as part of the Group’s continued efforts for a sustainable, global growth through vertical integration.
Gualapack strongly pursues international development to support its positioning on the global market as the world leader in pre-made spouted pouches and a global player in the flexible packaging industry. Brazil has been a strategic area for the company's growth since 2015, when the Group opened the dedicated subsidiary Gualapack Brasil in Iperó / São Paulo by merging with pouch producer Tradbor.
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XAAR TO SELL REMAINING INTEREST IN XAAR 3D LTD TO JOINT PARTNER STRATASYS
Xaar, the leading inkjet printing technology group, has conditionally agreed terms with its joint partner Stratasys Solutions Limited to sell its remaining interest in Xaar 3D Ltd.
Xaar 3D Ltd has continued to make progress this year, although delays to the development of products due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the business would potentially require more investment than originally planned. -
Berry Global CEO Appointed as an Officer for the Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE: BERY) has announced that its Chairman and CEO, Tom Salmon, has accepted the appointment as an officer of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a global nonprofit organization. As a founding member and first converter to join the Alliance, Berry continues its leadership role to help convene a worldwide network of over 80 member companies and partners in the mission to end plastic waste in the environment.
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Emsur Saymopack optimizes longevity of sleeve-mounting adapter with rotec® Eco Xtra rings
Spanish flexible packaging producer Emsur Saymopack has increased their productivity and the lifetime of their adapters with the new rotec® Eco Xtra ring from XSYS. This next-generation Eco Bridge technology further improves the durability of the adapters by reducing wear from mounting sleeves.
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LES EAUX DE CHANEL – Elegance and simplicity with a sustainable SULAPAC cap on top
CHANEL has just announced new LES EAUX DE CHANEL fragrance bottle caps made with biobased Sulapac® material.
Sustainable innovation approach
It all began with a desire. In 2018, LES EAUX DE CHANEL introduced a new olfactory world to the fragrances of the House: a singular collection, inspired by Mademoiselle Coco Chanel’s favorite places, fueled by the imaginary and composed around freshness.
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At INTERPHEX NYC, MG America to Premier Precision Wraparound Labeler for Vials, and Robust 10-Lane Capsule Checkweigher
WL-1-RT Wraparound Vial Labeling Machine ideal for high-speed vaccine production; Anritsu 10-lane 100% Capsule Checkweigher features novel handling mechanism for reliable feed and reject functions.
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Berry’s Change of Material Solution for Wafer Packaging Brings Multiple Benefits
A change of format for family-size packs of ice cream wafers from standard printed carton boxes to plastic buckets from Berry Superfos is delivering a number of important benefits for leading Romanian ice cream manufacturer TOPGEL. These include better shelf stand-out, enhanced logistics, and the opportunity for consumers to repurpose the packs.
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