Welcome to the Plastics Weekly, NEO’s regular news monitoring of the plastics industry.
Every week, we publish a roundup of the top developments in plastics and sustainability – from regulatory changes to company news.
This week’s highlights:
- Norway and Rwanda have launched a global coalition to eliminate plastic pollution. The High Ambition Coalition currently unites 20 countries that will work to end plastic pollution by 2040 by pushing for lowering plastic production, improving recycling, and developing tools to hold countries accountable to their promises. The effort follows a major agreement at the UN Environmental Assembly earlier this year. Countries aim to develop a plastic waste reduction treaty by 2024. (Business Insider)
- A new California law has reportedly become the world’s most comprehensive plastics-related legislation. The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54), adopted this summer, will impose new sustainability regulatory requirements on all businesses manufacturing single-use packaging or plastic single-use service ware. The law targets not only manufacturers but sellers of all goods sold in California. (Greenbiz)
- The University of Queensland in Australia has launched a new training centre that aims to lead the way in green plastics research. The A$13m (US$9.1m) Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Centre for Bioplastics and Biocomposites will conduct research on eliminating plastic pollution. The centre’s work will address the entire value chain, from natural resource and bio-product development and distribution, to end-of-life management and waste transformation. (The Chemical Engineer)