Clearer communication of sustainability efforts with regards to plastic packaging are needed to help consumers make better decisions and lead the way to a more circular plastics economy. This is among the conclusions of a joint report from the United National Environment Programme (UNEP), Consumers International, and One Planet, titled “Can I Recycle This?” A Global Mapping and Assessment of Standards, Labels and Claims on Plastic Packaging.
Aluminum, glass and plastic (PET) industries have reached out to states with beverage container deposit programs requesting that safe redemption return options be made available for consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic and that consumers be informed of these options through updated online resources.
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) — in conjunction with the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) — developed guidelines on recycled content in plastic packaging. The guidelines, titled, Recycled Content Used In Plastic Packaging Applications, were designed for companies that intend to use recycled plastic content in food, drink, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical packaging, as well as for policymakers.
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee vetoed a bill establishing minimum recycled content for certain plastic beverage containers, citing budget concerns related to COVID-19. House Bill 2722 mandated that beverage manufacturers meet the following minimum postconsumer recycled plastic content, on average, for the total number of certain plastic beverage containers sold in Washington State: 10% starting in 2022, 25% starting in 2025, and 50% starting in 2030.
The UK government implemented a tax on plastic packaging that does not contain at least 30% recycled content. The tax, which is scheduled to take effect in April 2022, is intended to encourage the use of recycled plastic and increase demand for recycled plastic. Additional information on the tax is available here.
The cost of virgin PET fell below the cost of recycled PET (R-PET) in mid-2019 for the first time since 2008 (when S&P Global Platts first began assessing flake prices).
The final text of San Francisco’s Plastic, Litter, and Toxics Reduction Law clarifies that a ban on fluorinated chemicals in food service items, which became effective in 2020, only applies to food service items that are compostable. The law states, “No person may sell, offer for sale, or otherwise Distribute within the City… (4) beginning January 1, 2020, any Food Service Ware that is Compostable and not Fluorinated Chemical Free.” (SF Municipal Code, Chapter 16 (“Food Service and Packaging Waste Reduction Ordinance,” Section 1603).
U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) plan to introduce legislation in the fall aimed at reducing plastic waste. The legislation will include phase-out requirements for certain single-use products, extended producer responsibility (EPR) initiatives, and deposit or charge requirements at point-of-purchase.