Technological watch
Plastics Makers Support Expanding Data on Microplastics, Urge Caution in Interpreting Results of Recent Stool Study
WASHINGTON (October 24, 2018) – A small pilot study presented this week at the United European Gastroenterology Conference measured low concentrations of microplastics in human stool samples from eight individuals who reside in the European Union, Japan and Russia. The study was conducted by researchers from the Medical University of Vienna and Environment Agency Austria. The American Chemistry Council issued the following statement:
“Plastics makers welcome this preliminary new information and, although the sample size is quite small, we look forward to hearing more after the results have been peer reviewed.
“All people deserve access to clean food and clean water, and a healthy environment. We supported the passage of federal and state legislation to phase-out the use of microbeads in personal care products, and we supported recent passage of the Save Our Seas Act of 2018, which will help expand waste management and recycling systems in parts of the world that currently lack them.
“ACC and our member companies have and will continue working constructively with governments, nonprofits, and our industry peers to deliver sustainable solutions to plastic waste in the environment, including innovations in design, development of new business models, and expanding access to infrastructure that will advance the recycling and recovery of more plastics.
“In May, ACC announced national goals crystalizing U.S. resin producers’ commitment to reusing, recycling or recovering all plastic packaging by 2040 and for all plastic packaging to be recyclable or recoverable by 2030.
“In 2011, ACC helped lead the development of a Global Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter, which has been signed by 75 plastics associations in 40 countries. Together, these signatories have initiated or completed more than 355 projects aimed at addressing marine debris around the globe.”
“Plastics makers welcome this preliminary new information and, although the sample size is quite small, we look forward to hearing more after the results have been peer reviewed.
“All people deserve access to clean food and clean water, and a healthy environment. We supported the passage of federal and state legislation to phase-out the use of microbeads in personal care products, and we supported recent passage of the Save Our Seas Act of 2018, which will help expand waste management and recycling systems in parts of the world that currently lack them.
“ACC and our member companies have and will continue working constructively with governments, nonprofits, and our industry peers to deliver sustainable solutions to plastic waste in the environment, including innovations in design, development of new business models, and expanding access to infrastructure that will advance the recycling and recovery of more plastics.
“In May, ACC announced national goals crystalizing U.S. resin producers’ commitment to reusing, recycling or recovering all plastic packaging by 2040 and for all plastic packaging to be recyclable or recoverable by 2030.
“In 2011, ACC helped lead the development of a Global Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter, which has been signed by 75 plastics associations in 40 countries. Together, these signatories have initiated or completed more than 355 projects aimed at addressing marine debris around the globe.”
This project has been co-funded with the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union [LIFE17 ENV/ES/000438] Life programme
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