#single-use

Canberra bans single-use plastics as laws pass ACT Assembly

Laws banning single-use plastics in Canberra have passed the ACT Legislative Assembly, and businesses could be fined up to $40,000 if they breach them. Under the ban, plastic cutlery, drink-stirrers and polystyrene cups will be outlawed in the territory from July 1 this year. 

Centre lays down plan to phase out single-use plastics by 2022              

The ministry has issued a draft notification on March 11 which lays down how various single-use plastic products will be prohibited in phases next year. The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association, however, underlined that the move could impact at least 1 million jobs

The Union environment ministry has proposed to implement a countrywide ban on manufacture, use, sale, import and handling of some of the single-use plastic products by 2022.

Plastic straws, polystyrene containers banned in Queensland under sweeping new rules

Shortage fuelled switch from virgin to recycled polyolefins could prove permanent for some grades

Severe shortages of virgin  polyolefins are driving substitution to recycled polyolefin   alternatives. With ongoing regulatory and consumer pressure against   single use plastics, for some grades there may not be a swich back.

Europe  recycled polyolefin pellet values are once again at their most   competitive levels against virgin on record across all grades, as virgin  price rises continue to outpace those in the recycled polyolefins  chain.

This is despite recycled   polypropylene (R-PP) currently being at record high levels, and prices   for recycled polyolefin pellets having risen by up to 55% since the  start of 2021.

Queensland passes laws banning ‘killer’ single-use plastics

Queensland has become the second Australian state to pass laws banning single-use plastics including straws and cutlery that are blighting the state’s waterways and beaches and endangering wildlife.

Environmental groups congratulated the Queensland government after it passed legislation on Wednesday night that will ban single-use plastic items, including polystyrene food containers and cups, from 1 September.

Polystyrene to be phased out next year under Australia’s plastic waste plan

Conservation groups welcome aspects of the largely voluntary packaging and recycling targets but warn regulation will be necessary

Polystyrene foam commonly used to package consumer goods will be phased out in Australia by mid-2022 as part of a national plan to combat mounting plastic waste.

‘Biodegradable’ plastic will soon be banned in Australia. That’s a big win for the environment

To start dealing with Australia’s mounting plastic crisis, the federal government last week launched its first National Plastics Plan.

The plan will fight plastic on various fronts, such as banning plastic on beaches, ending polystyrene packaging for takeaway containers, and phasing in microplastic filters in washing machines. But we’re particularly pleased to see a main form of biodegradable plastic will also be phased out.

Biodegradable plastic promises a plastic that breaks down into natural components when it’s no longer wanted for its original purpose. The idea of a plastic that literally disappears once in the ocean, littered on land or in landfill is tantalising — but also (at this stage) a pipe dream.

Plastic recycling results in rare metals being found in children’s toys and food packaging

Some of the planet’s rarest metals—used in the manufacture of smartphones and other electrical equipment—are increasingly being found in everyday consumer plastics, according to new research.

Scientists from the University of Plymouth and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign tested a range of new and used products including children’s toys, office equipment and cosmetic containers.

Through a number of detailed assessments, they examined levels of rare earth elements (REEs) but also quantities of bromine and antimony, used as flame retardants in electrical equipment and a sign of the presence of recycled electronic plastic.

Coca-Cola turns to 100% recycled plastic bottles in U.S.

Coca-Cola Co will sell its popular sodas in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material in the United States

The soda and beverage giant, criticized for being one of the biggest producers of plastic waste, pledged a couple of years ago to collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one it sells globally by 2030.

The company will start rolling out the new 13.2oz bottles of Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Flavors this month in select states in the Northeast, Florida and California.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based firm said the new recycled bottles would help reduce its use of new plastic by more than 20% across its North American portfolio compared with 2018.

Estonia’s EU plastics tax bill comes to €23.6 million for 2021

Estonia’s European Union non-recycled plastics tax bill come to €23.6 million this year, ERR reports, though some experts say that Estonia pays considerably more than it should do in proportion to its size and wealth. The tax proved unpopular with the former Center/EKRE/Isamaa coalition when it was introduced last year.

PFE Continues to Expand into the European Plastics Recycling Industry

Plastics Recyclers Europe, the leading organization to define recyclability in Europe and to develop the RecyClass recyclability testing standards, has recognized Plastics Forming Enterprises (PFE) as an accredited laboratory.

Bioplastic made from wood waste is durable yet degradable

The race to make plastics renewable has led to bioplastics made from cornstarch, sugarcane, potatoes, coffee grounds, food waste, and algae. Researchers now introduce a new contender made of waste wood powder that they say could be a stronger, cheaper, and more sustainable alternative.
The bioplastic, reported in the journal Nature Sustainability, is strong: it can hold liquids without degrading and resist damage from UV light. Yet at the end of its life, it can be fully recycled or biodegraded.