A new report from Beyond Plastics and IPEN debunks the plastic industry’s claims that chemical recycling, also known as “advanced recycling,” will play a significant role in reducing global plastic pollution. In fact, the science and data outlined show that chemical recycling has failed for decades and will not contribute significantly to resolving the plastics crisis.
29 October 2023, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition appealed to all parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury to come up with united decisions that will lead to the elimination of all mercury-added cosmetics from the face of the earth, including e-commerce.
Global mercury pollution has been recognised as a major problem that can only be tackled effectively by international regulation and government cooperation. Mercury is a hazardous neurotoxin that can cause many health problems in humans, and most exposure is caused by dietary impacts such as eating contaminated fish where mercury bioaccumulates.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury has been developed as the main international legal instrument to protect human health and the environment from mercury pollution with range of controls on trade, emissions, and use of mercury. The fifth Conference of the Parties (COP-5) of the Minamata Convention on Mercury (Mercury Treaty) will take place in Geneva from 30 October to 3 November 2023, and several important decisions will be discussed.
The ongoing negotiation and framing of the future Plastics Treaty is an opportunity to address and protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of plastics throughout their life cycle. This will require strong, legally binding control provisions that call for the elimination of toxic chemicals throughout the life cycle of plastics and mandatory, publicly available, and accessible disclosure of information on chemicals used in plastics.
From May to July 2023, the Philippines IPEN member EcoWaste Coalition purchased a total of 46 cans of paints intended for decorative and industrial applications from stores in 10 cities and one municipality. The group also purchased some paints from online sellers. The paints represented 27 different brands produced by 22 manufacturers. All paints were analyzed by an accredited laboratory for their lead content.