news
Two more plasticisers
on SVHC list Two plasticisers are among nine substances of very high concern (SVHCs) which have been recommended for addition to the Authori- sation List under the EU’s REACH Regulation. 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic
acid dihexyl ester and dihexyl phthalate have both been listed because they are deemed toxic for reproduction.
All nine of the new additions were prioritised from the Candidate List because of their high volume and widespread uses, which may pose a threat to human health, or for their potential to replace other substances already on the Authorisation List. A final decision on their inclusion in the Authorisa- tion List and on the dates by which companies will need to apply for authorisation to ECHA will be taken by the European Commission, Member states and the European Parliament. ❙
http://echa.europa.eu
Reflex could boost flexible packaging recycling in UK
Recycling of flexible packaging in the UK has moved a step closer to reality, following a two-year collaborative project. The Reflex project has
partners from across the packaging value chain, including polymer production, packaging manufacture and waste management and recycling. The partners – which include Amcor, Dow Chemical, Tomra and Unilever – say that flexible packaging makes up 27% of consumer plastic packaging in the UK, much of which ends up in landfill or energy recovery. Resource recovery specialist Axion Consulting, which led the consortium, said the ability to recycle this type of packaging at end of life will be “moving forward” following the trial. The consortium’s research
looked at the commercial value of materials recovered and showed that attractive yields of recycled materials could be achieved. It has addressed many technical challenges in establishing an infrastructure to collect, sort and recycle
The two-year collaborative project is looking to divert flexpack away from landfill and energy recovery
polyolefinic flexible packaging in the UK. For example, along with improvement of flexible packaging designs, the project looked at digital watermarking on packaging that is suitable for mechanical recycling and the use and enhancement of near infra-red (NIR) sorting. “We think that these changes – and further technology optimisation – can improve the economics of recycling flexible packaging and make the concept more attractive to investors and recyclers,” said Richard McKin- lay, senior engineer at Axion. Practical trials have shown
that recovered polymers have the necessary properties for items such as boxes, crates and drainage pipe. The consortium has
developed guidelines to help design flexible packaging that is suitable for mechanical recycling. However, because more work is needed to investigate and evaluate the compatibility of all the materials, they will not be released until further testing has been completed and validated at European level. l Our section on recycling and granulation starts on page 35. ❙
www.reflexproject.co.uk
Australia moves closer to a ban on plastic bags
Australia has moved closer to a country-wide ban on plastic bags, following a meeting of environment ministers from across the country. “Australians consume billions of plastic bags each year, and this contributes to the toll that plastic litter takes on marine life around Aus-
www.filmandsheet.com
tralia,” said a statement that was released after the meeting. Four Australian states – South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory – al- ready have bag bans in place, while Queensland has enacted legislation that will see a ban
introduced there by 2018. “We support the work
Victoria and New South Wales are doing – including the work NSW is doing to investigate the behaviour of biodegradable plastic bags in the environ- ment,” said the statement. Officials will present an update at the next meeting,
regarding progress to ban plastic bags in other jurisdic- tions.
In addition, the ministers
discussed a voluntary phase- out of plastic microbeads, and ways to reduce packaging waste – building on a recent update to the Australian Packaging Covenant.
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