Welcome to Higginson Strategy’s weekly round-up of international news relating to plastic pollution.
This week, a new study by New York University links two common plastic-softening chemicals, DEHP and DiNP, to nearly 2 million preterm births and 74,000 newborn deaths globally. A three-year microplastics assessment by New South Wales EPA found plastic contamination in all 120 waterways sampled, pointing to packaging waste and industrial pellets as key sources of water pollution across Australia. Environmental groups are warning that a proposed Clean Air Act exemption in the U.S. for pyrolysis-based chemical recycling could incentivise the construction of facilities with no obligation to measure or disclose their emissions. Researchers at the World Institute of Kimchi have found that a microbe present in the fermented food can bind to nano and microplastics in the gut, potentially offering a biological route for clearing them from the body before they accumulate. Finally, Wales has become the first UK nation to include glass in its Deposit Return Scheme, approving a plan that will offer consumers cash or vouchers for returning drinks containers from 2027.
Millions of preterm births and thousands of infant deaths linked to plastic chemical
Two chemicals used to make plastic more flexible are linked to nearly 2 million premature births and the deaths of 74,000 newborns worldwide in 2018, according to a new study by New York University.
The two chemicals in the study — Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate, or DEHP, and its cousin diisononyl phthalate, or DiNP — are part of a family of synthetic chemicals called phthalates. Phthalates have been linked to the disruption of placental function leading to placental insufficiency which causes a preterm birth.
Read more here.
Australia study highlights packaging waste in waterways
Microplastics from packaging waste and industrial plastic pellets are a significant source of water pollution in Australia, according to a new microplastics report from the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
The findings highlight the extent of plastic pollution in coastal waterways and identify traceable sources within the packaging supply chain. The Broadscale Microplastic Assessment, conducted over three years, detected microplastics in every one of the 120 waterways sampled across New South Wales.
Read more here.
After chemical industry lobbying, EPA considers dropping clean air protections for plastic waste recycling
Environmental advocates are bracing for a potential exemption from the U.S. Clean Air Act to promote so-called “advanced” or “chemical” recycling through pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is the process of decomposing materials at very high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment, has been around for centuries.
One organisation is concerned that the exemption of any requirement for pyrolysis units to measure or report their emissions would be “a perverse incentive” to build more of them.
Read more here.
Scientists say this popular food could help your body get rid of microplastics
Researchers at the World Institute of Kimchi report that a microbe commonly found in kimchi can latch onto nanoplastics and microplastics in the gut, potentially helping carry them out of the body before they spread further.
The study demonstrates that lactic acid bacteria from kimchi may interact with environmental micropollutants, expanding their role beyond fermentation. These results point to possible biological pathways for reducing nanoplastic buildup in the gastrointestinal tract.
Read more here.
Glass deposit return scheme approved by Senedd
Glass will be included in the Welsh government’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), after the plan was approved in the Senedd. From 2027, people will be offered cash or vouchers for returning empty drinks bottles and cans to be reused and recycled.
Under UK-wide plans, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will introduce a DRS covering just plastic bottles and metal cans from October 2027. Wales is following the same timetable but also including glass.
Read more here.