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Dear Reader,
| This week, a report by watchdog group the Environmental Integrity Project revealed petrochemical companies across the US are sending millions of pounds of plastic chemical pollutants into waterways each year. Environment Ministers across the EU have agreed to tackle plastic pellet pollutionas 20 truckloads of pellets a day are spilt into the sea. In an analysis of 1,700 studies, researchers from the University of Maryland foundthousands of deaths could be attributed to plastic chemicals. Canada’s Plastic Pact has published its latest report showing Canadians increased their plastic waste by four per cent from 2019- 2022. Finally, Thailand is banning imports of plastic waste from January 1st 2025 to tackle the flow of plastic into the country. I’m taking a break with my family in the French Alps next week. I will return with Plastic Free Post on the 3rd of January 2025. We wish all our readers a restful holiday and a Happy New Year. |
As always, we hope you enjoy reading.
John Higginson
Editor-in-Chief
Plastic Free Post
Plastic producers send millions of pollutants into waterways each year
| Nearly 70 petrochemical companies across the US are sending millions of pounds of plastic chemical pollutants into waterways each year due to weak or non-existent regulations, according to a report published by the watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project. The report found limited or no limits on the discharge of pollutants including Dioxins, one of the most toxic classes of compounds by the World Health Organisation, a byproduct of producing plastics such as PVC. Plastic pellets are also entering waterways in 27 states and PFAS are worryingly not currently considered in wastewater samples for petrochemical plant permit applications. |
Read more here.
EU tackles plastic pellet pollution
| Environment ministers from across the EU reached an agreement on proposed legislation to reduce the accidental release of microplastic pellets into the environment. This legislation was triggered in response to a spillage off the coast of Spain last year when 26 tonnes of plastic pellets were spilt into the sea, prompting policymakers to act. The new regulations are the first to address plastic pellet pollution in the European Union and include measures to prevent spills, and prompt clean-ups should they occur. It is estimated that 50,000-180,000 tonnes of pellets are lost each year in the EU due to poor handling and leaky containers, which is equivalent to up to 20 truckloads per day. |
Read more here.
Plastic chemicals linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide
| Researchers from the University of Maryland assessed the public health impact of exposure to three types of chemicals primarily used in plastics, drawing on more than 1,700 previously published studies, the research calculated health outcomes attributable to these chemicals. They found that in 2015, about five million cases of coronary artery disease and 346,000 strokes were associated with BPA exposure and that roughly 164,000 deaths in people between 55 and 64 years old may have been due to DEHP, a manufactured chemical that is commonly added to plastics to make them flexible. |
Read more here.
Canada Plastics Pact reports 2024 progress
| The 2024 Progress Report found Canadians generated two million metric tonnes of plastic waste 2022, about four per cent more than in 2019. Of that number, 557,000 metric tonnes were collected in 2022, up from 417,000 metric tonnes in 2019. The Pact, affiliated with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, finds 59 per cent of plastic generated across members was rigid plastic packaging of which 24 per cent was recycled in 2022, and only four per cent of the flexible plastic packaging generated was recycled, with the report noting more work is needed to tackle the complex collection and sorting of plastic. |
Read more here.
Thailand bans imports of plastic waste
| Importers in Thailand will not be allowed to bring plastic waste into the country from January 1st 2025 as the country moves to prevent hazards to the environment and public health, the Department of Foreign Trade announced this week. The ban has been discussed since 2020, as officials seek to stop the flood of plastic from Western nations that has contributed to dangerous levels of air and water pollution in the country as seen in 2023, when Thailand imported 372,000 tonnes of plastic waste. |
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