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California Assembly Bill (A.B.) 2787 would ban the sale or distribution of designated products (including certain cosmetics, detergents, waxes and polishes) in California if the products contain intentionally added microplastics.

The Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a proposal to revise standards for certain plastic food packaging. The draft proposal (WTO document 22-0680 notified under G/SPS/N/THA/484) would revise standards such as the overall migration limit, the restrictions for primary aromatic amines (PAAs), the migration limits for various metals, and the specific migration limits for certain types of food plastics as listed in Annex I. 

Keller and Heckman Partner Hazel O’Keeffe will be one of the speakers at the International Seminar on Biotechnology Applied to the Plastics Sector, to be held virtually on March 1-2, 2022. 

The U.S. Plastics Pact’s recently released Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List identifies the following 11 plastic items that are not currently reusable, recyclable, or compostable in the U.S.: 

A new tax on plastic packaging in the United Kingdom (UK) will become effective on April 1, 2022. The tax will apply to plastic packaging components that do not contain at least 30% recycled plastic and that are either manufactured in the UK or imported into the UK (although there are certain exemptions to the tax). 

As part of a new policy initiative on biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics that is being prepared, the European Commission  launched a public consultation to gain input from stakeholders.

The proposed Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations were published in the Canada Gazette on December 25, 2021. The proposed regulations would prohibit the manufacture, import, and sale of six categories of single use plastics (SUPs): checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics, ring carriers (typically known as six-pack rings), stir sticks, and straws. 

On December 9, 2021, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) requested comments on four new food-contact materials and articles, to include one new additive and three new resins. The substances and specifications are listed below.

New Additive for Food-Contact Materials and Articles

On October 25, 2021, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) published a number of draft GB standards for food and food-related products, including a few key standards for food contact materials of plastics, rubber and adhesives, which are summarized below.