Contents:
~ Micro and Nano Plastics Detected in Human Organs
~ Plastic Bags to be Replaced with Paper Bags by Morrisons
~ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – Kroger Priorities Outlined
~ Plastic Waste – Transformation into a Resource
~ Microplastics – National Geographic Summary
~ About Plastic Food Packaging Waste News
Micro and Nano Plastics Detected in Human Organs – According to an August 18 edited August 17, 2020 American Chemical Council News Release, researchers with Arizona State University obtained “… samples … of brain and body tissues … spiked … [them with] nano/microplastic beads … analyzed the sample … [and] showed that they could detect the beads … Next, the researchers used … mass spectrometry to analyze 47 human liver and fat tissue samples. No materials were spiked into these samples. The team found plastic contamination in the form of monomers, or plastic building blocks, in every sample … [The authors ask] Should people be concerned about the high detection frequency of plastic components in human tissues? … it is concerning that these non-biodegradable materials that are present everywhere can enter and accumulate in human tissues, and we don’t know the possible health effects …” #PlasticWaste #MicroPlastics #NanoPlastics #SingleUsePlastic
Plastic Bags to be Replaced with Paper Bags by Morrisons
– According to an August 17, 2020 News Release “… if a trial in eight stores proves popular …” Morrisons will remove all plastic carrier bags replacing them with paper bags – “… David Potts, Chief Executive of Morrisons said: ‘We believe customers are ready to stop using plastic carrier bags as they want to reduce the amount of plastic they have in their lives and keep it out of the environment.’ The supermarket will listen to customers before making the decision to remove plastic bags across the nation … Morrisons will also continue to offer [for a fee] jute, cotton and reusable woven bags …” #SingleUsePlastic #PlasticWaste #Morrisons #SingleUsePlastic
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – Kroger Priorities Outlined
– In an August 17, 2020 News Release, Kroger summarized its latest ESG report which highlights “… progress toward its sustainability goals … our vision … [is] a future with Zero Hunger and Zero Waste …Kroger continues to bring sustainable packaging solutions to customers through … [a] reusable packaging platform … a multi-year collaboration across retail sectors to identify, test and implement alternatives to the traditional single-use plastic retail bag … [By 2030, for its own brands, will] Complete a baseline product packaging footprint to fully understand current packaging impacts … Seek to achieve 100% recyclable, compostable and/or reusable packaging … Increase recycled content in packaging … [so that it] collectively contains at least 10% recycled content in packaging … Reduce unnecessary packaging … [and] Increase awareness among Kroger customers about how to properly manage … product packaging at end of life …” #PackagingWaste #ESG #Kroger #SingleUsePackaging #PlasticWaste
Plastic Waste – Transformation into a Resource
– According to an August 11, 2020 Department of Energy news release “… Plastics … keep us safe and healthy, as well as enhance our day-to-day convenience and efficiency … managing plastic waste is a significant and growing global challenge … American ingenuity will be the solution … [the newly established] Plastics Innovation Challenge … draws on the extensive research capabilities within the DOE National Laboratories, universities, and industry … the goal of this Challenge is to transform used plastic from a waste to a resource though advanced technologies deployed by American companies …” – Challenge participants will develop “… new collection technologies to prevent plastics from entering the ocean … new methods to deconstruct existing plastic waste and upcycle it into higher value products … [and] new plastics that are recyclable-by-design so that less plastic will need to be put in landfills …” #PlasticWaste #SingleUsePlastic #Recycling
Microplastics – National Geographic Summary
– According to an August 7, 2020 National Geographic article “… A collection of new research provides more clues about where and how microplastics are spreading … While most of the early research focused on the larger plastics … less visible and more pervasive plastic bits have spread into virtually every crevice on Earth … they are part of the dust that blows around the planet, high in the atmosphere … Scientists are still sorting out the central question underlying the research: what harm does ingesting microplastics cause to human health? … So far, no harm has been demonstrated. But for fish and other marine and freshwater wildlife, studies find that microplastics disrupt reproductive systems, stunt growth, diminish appetite, cause tissue inflammation and liver damage, and alter feeding behavior … Plastic fragments alter the structure and chemistry of the soil …” #Microplastics #SingleUsePlastic #PlasticWaste #SingleUsePlastic #PlasticPackaging
