Welcome to Higginson Strategy’s weekly round-up of international news relating to plastic pollution.
This week, new research by Earth Action in collaboration with rePurpose Global, found food packaging releases 1,000 tons of plastic particles into food and drinks annually, with exposure driven by predictable factors like material choice and UV conditions. A University of Portsmouth study finds plastic reuse systems are emerging globally but held back by fragmented policies and weak financial incentives. The UK Packaging Pact launched with 100 signatories, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Defra, committing to a ten-year programme to reduce waste across all packaging materials. A Nature Health study found microplastics in 100% of healthy human brains, but at concentrations nearly 100 times lower than RFK Jr claimed, with researchers calling for urgent further investigation. Finally, moringa tree seeds have been found to remove over 98% of PVC microplastics from drinking water, outperforming the chemical alternative alum.
1,000 tons of plastic particles transfer from packaging into food every year
New research by Earth Action in collaboration with rePurpose Global has found that food packaging releases around 1,000 tons of plastic particles into food and drinks each year, with average individuals ingesting around 130 milligrams annually. A central finding of the report is that this exposure is not random but driven by predictable factors including material choice, packaging design, and use conditions such as UV exposure and heating which can increase particle release by up to a hundredfold.
Read more here.
Global push for reuse stalls as fragmented policies hold back progress of tackling plastic pollution
New research from the University of Portsmouth has found that plastic reuse systems are emerging across Europe, South America and Southeast Asia but remain constrained by fragmented policies, weak financial incentives and infrastructure gaps. Researchers are calling for clearer targets, stronger coordination and more robust financial mechanisms to move systems to scale.
Read more here.
UK Packaging Pact launches with the support of 100 organisations
The UK Packaging Pact has officially launched with 100 founding signatories, including Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Unilever and Defra, committing to a ten-year programme led by WRAP to scale packaging reuse and refill, increase recycled content and reduce waste across all packaging materials, succeeding the UK Plastics Pact launched in 2018.
Read more here.
Brain study confirms microplastic health risks which challenges Kennedy’s claims
A new study published in Nature Health, analysing 191 human brain samples, has found microplastics present in 100% of healthy brains examined which contradicts US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr’s claim that there is “a spoonful of plastic in every human brain”. Scientists found concentrations nearly 100 times lower than the older study Kennedy cited, though they stress the findings still highlight an urgent need for further investigation into health risks.
Read more here.
‘Miracle tree’ removes 98% of microplastics from drinking water, outperforming chemical alternatives
A new study published in ACS Omega has found that a salt-based extract from seeds of the moringa tree, long dubbed the ‘miracle tree’, removes over 98% of PVC microplastics from drinking water, matching or outperforming the chemical coagulant alum while avoiding its downsides of aluminium leaching, large volumes of toxic sludge and environmentally damaging production. Researchers note that organic carbon leaching and large-scale efficacy still need further study.
Read more here.