Welcome to the Plastics Weekly, NEO’s regular news monitoring of the plastics industry.
This week’s highlights:
- The United States, one of the world’s top plastic producers, will now support a global UN treaty to reduce the production of new plastic each year in a major policy shift, sources say. The change away fro the U.S.’s earlier calls to leave such decisions up to each country puts it in direct opposition to countries like Saudi Arabia and China. The U.S. will also support creating a list of harmful chemicals to be phased out. The change in its position comes in advance of final negotiations that are scheduled to conclude in November in South Korea. (Reuters)
- Scientists have unveiled a game-changing nanoplastic removal technology with close to 100% efficiency. Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed an eco-friendly method to remove over 98% of nanoplastics from water, addressing a growing health concern linked to diseases. The technique uses natural, water-repelling solvents to effectively purify both fresh and saltwater. The solvent absorbs nanoplastics and can be reused, paving the way for advancements in water purification technology and environmental policy. (SciTechDaily)
- A new bill in California seeks to ban all plastic bags offered at the checkout line – even seemingly reusable, heavy-duty plastic bags which were exempted from the state’s earlier ban on single-use plastic bags a decade ago. It turned out few of those bags were actually recycled: last year, Californians threw away more plastic bags by weight than when the law first passed, according to California’s recycling agency. (The New York Times)