Welcome to Higginson Strategy’s weekly round-up of international news relating to plastic pollution.
This week, a coalition of health and environmental groups are celebrating the Canadian federal court’s decision to uphold regulation on that classifies plastic as toxic. New research from the University of Portsmouth found that the UN Global Plastics Treaty process risks failing without significant reform. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has signalled its next steps on recycled plastic use in packaging. Researchers at the University of Leeds have found that airborne microplastics can be more prevalent in rural areas than in cities. Finally, chemists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered a method that turns discarded plastic into a powerful material to capture carbon dioxide.
Canada’s federal court upholds regulation classifying plastic as toxic
In a victory for Canada’s Liberal government, the Federal Court of Appeal has upheld its decision to list plastics as toxic, enabling Ottawa to ban single-use plastic items. The decision deals a blow to Canada’s plastics industry, which had challenged the federal government’s regulations aimed at stopping plastic pollution. The unanimous decision said a judge had erred when they ruled that Ottawa’s decision to list plastic items as toxic was “unreasonable and unconstitutional.” The court also found the government’s decision was reasonable because plastics have the potential to be toxic to humans and the wider environment.
Read more here.
Study finds UN Global Plastics Treaty risks failure without reform
According to new research by the University of Portsmouth, the Global Plastics Treaty process risks failing without significant reform.
The researchers, who attended every round of the UN negotiations, warn that pushing ahead with legal drafting before countries have found enough common ground can ‘significantly decrease’ the effectiveness of international decision-making processes. In addition, they state that unless the process is reset to rebuild trust, clarify direction and unlock political will, the world risks missing a ‘once-in-a-generation chance’ to tackle plastic pollution at its source.
Read more here.
Japan signals next steps on recycled plastic use in packaging
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has made presentation materials from a government taskforce public, providing a clearer view of how future regulation is likely to affect packaging design, recycled content obligations and compliance planning. This comes as Japan prepares to implement new national rules on packaging design and recycled content that will affect manufacturers and supply chains later in 2026.
Read more here.
Study finds microplastics more prevalent in rural areas
Researchers at the University of Leeds have found that airborne microplastics can be more prevalent in rural areas than in cities.
Particles of plastic are carried on the wind and captured by trees and other vegetation. The study detected up to 500 microscopic particles of plastic per square metre per day in an area of woodland during the three-month study – almost twice as much as in a sample collected in a nearby city centre.
Chemists convert plastic waste into a powerful new tool to capture carbon dioxide
Chemists at the University of Copenhagen have found a method that turns discarded plastic into a powerful material that captures carbon dioxide.
In this process, old plastic bottles and worn textiles gain a second life. Measured by weight, PET already contains more than 60 percent carbon. Its structure stays strong even after chemical changes. When converted into BAETA, the material gains a surface rich in sites that attract and hold carbon dioxide molecules. This makes it highly effective at trapping the gas from air or industrial exhaust.
Read more here.