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☆ America's Plastic Catastrophe: Most Waste Can't Be Recycled
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Taylor Dorrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

It's an urgent question — what do we do with the 40 million tons of plastic waste we produce annually? One year of plastic waste is roughly enough to smother the entirety of Manhattan a meter deep, and it has to go somewhere. For decades, America sent its plastic waste to countries like China and Indonesia. Unlike aluminum or glass, the plastic that can be recycled rarely results in replacing one recycled water bottle with another. By downcycling a tiny portion of plastic waste, companies can genuinely reuse a relatively small share of plastic, while convincing consumers that the industry has created a circular economy of infinitely recycled plastic.

Persons: Kartik Byma, they're, Tim Miller, Susan Freinkel, Nestlé, Lea Suzuki, Larry Thomas, what's, Taylor Dorrell, Biden, that's, Taylor, Miller, Kelley Sayre, Vicky Abou, it's, Mike Bloomberg, Bloomberg, Espen Barth Eide, Norway's, Abou, It's Organizations: Getty, America, Chevron, Exxon, Paper Stock, Plastics Industry Association, Organization for Economic Co, San Francisco, NPR, International Energy Agency, ExxonMobil, Alterra Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Royal Paper Stock, Akron, Buckeye Environmental, Business, Eastman Chemical Co, American Chemistry Council, New, Beyond Plastics, UN, Buckeye Environmental Network Locations: America, Manhattan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, AFP, Ohio, American, San Francisco, Akron, Taylor Dorrell Akron , Ohio, United States, Oregon, New York City

☆ 16,000 plastic chemicals exist, many of them hazardous and unregulated, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And with new plastic chemicals entering the market all the time, it’s been difficult for regulators and policy makers to determine the scope of the problem. Now, for the first time, researchers have pulled together scientific and regulatory data to develop a database of all known chemicals used in plastic production. It’s a staggering number: 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment, according to the authors. Although grouping would capture about 1,000 of the most toxic chemicals in plastics, Wagner said, that still leaves about 2,600 chemicals that still need to be regulated. Missing hazard dataIn addition to the massive number of toxic chemicals, the report found that detailed hazard information is missing for more than 10,000 of the 16,000 chemicals.

Persons: it’s, It’s, “, ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Philip Landrigan, Landrigan, Matt Seaholm, ” Kimberly Wise White, ” Wagner, ” Landrigan, Tasha Stoiber, Stoiber, Jane Houlihan Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, Boston College, – Monaco, Plastics, Human, Plastics Industry Association, American Chemistry Council, International, United Nations Environment, Global Plastics, Environmental, Healthy Locations: Trondheim, United States

☆ Certain types of ‘forever chemicals’ will no longer be used in US food packaging, FDA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Certain kinds of greaseproofing “forever” chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, will no longer be used in food packaging in the US, the US Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. The FDA’s food studies have shown that food packaging materials like fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags and take-out pizza boxes were a major source of dietary exposure to certain types of PFAS, hormone-disrupting chemicals that may persist in the body and the environment. While health and environmental advocates cheered the new announcement, they noted that companies were already facing pressure from state bans to get PFAS out of consumer products, including food packaging. Chemicals called long-chain PFAS stopped being sold in the US due to safety concerns in 2011. Short-chain PFAS weren’t thought to build up in living organisms the way long-chain PFAS do, but research has shown that they may be metabolized into forms that linger in tissue.

Persons: ”, Leonardo Trasande, Melanie Benesh, ” Benesh, chemistries, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Jim Jones, PFAS, Sandee LaMotte Organizations: CNN, US Food and Drug Administration, NYU Langone Health, American Chemistry Council, “ ACC, FDA, Get CNN, CNN Health, Chemicals, Manufacturers Locations: New York City

☆ ‘Everywhere’ chemicals linked to rise in preterm births, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, researchers have found synthetic chemicals called phthalates used in clear food packaging and personal care products could be a culprit, according to a new study. “Studies show the largest association with preterm labor is due to a phthalate found in food packaging called Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP,” Trasande said. “In our new study, we found DEHP and three similar chemicals could be responsible for 5% to 10% of all the preterm births in 2018. “This paper focused on the relationship between exposure to individual phthalates and preterm birth. “Every day, they’re often exposed to more than one phthalate from the products they use, so the risk of preterm birth may actually be greater,” said Friedman, who was not involved in the study.

Persons: phthalates, ”, Dr, Leonardo Trasande, ” Trasande, “, that’s, Alexa Friedman, Friedman, diisononyl, toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, ” Birnbaum, birthweight, DEHP, Trasande, ” Friedman, don’t, ” CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, NYU Langone Health, “, Environmental, American Chemistry Council, Product Safety, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology, National Institutes of Health’s, Child Health, Health, Mayo Clinic, American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP Locations: United States, European

☆ 4 scientists said they're cutting back on bottled water after measuring the number of microplastics inside
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

About 10 to 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics were discovered in bottled water, the study found. AdvertisementScientists said they're cutting back on bottled waterThe inside of an optical box reveals the components that organize the light from laser beams to identify nanoplastics, microscopic plastic pieces. Related storiesAll four co-authors interviewed said they were cutting back on their bottled water use after they conduced the study. Wei Min, the Columbia physical chemist who pioneered the dual laser microscope technology, said he has reduced his bottled water use by half. Previous studies looking for microplastics and some early tests indicate there may be less nanoplastic in tap water than bottled.

Persons: Naixin Qian, Mary Conlon, —, Qian, Phoebe Stapleton, microplastics, Wei Min, Stapleton, Beizhan Yan, there's, Jason Somarelli, Somarelli, Zoie Diana, Diana, Min, Yan, Kara Lavender, Denise Hardesty, Louis Organizations: Service, Business, Columbia, Rutgers, National Academy of Sciences, micron, WalMart, Water Association, American Chemistry Council, United Nations Environment, Duke University, University of Toronto, Kara Lavender Law, Sea Education Association Locations: Columbia, New Jersey, Australian, Boston, St, Los Angeles

Many companies have complained about poor railroad service over the past couple years as the industry worked to recover from the depths of the pandemic. It, however, welcomed regulators establishing some clear minimum service standards for railroads that never existed before and requiring railroads to report more details about their performance. Getting the rule right is important because roughly 75% of refineries and petrochemical manufacturers are only served by a single railroad. Canadian regulators have long had similar rules that allow companies to hire other railroads to deliver their goods. The Canadian rules don't require companies to prove they are getting poor service like the proposed new U.S. rules.

Persons: Scott Jensen, Martin Oberman, ” Oberman, Rob Benedict, Benedict, Ian Jefferies, ” Jefferies, Jeremy Ferguson, ” Ferguson Organizations: — Companies, Surface Transportation, American Chemistry Council, Chemistry, American, and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Association of American Railroads, Transportation Division, International Association of, Rail, Transportation Workers Locations: OMAHA, Neb, U.S, North America, Canada, Mexico

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is worried about the safety of chemical facilities across the country after its power to keep dangerous substances out of the hands of extremists lapsed a month ago. Homeland Security officials say this left gaping holes in the country's national security, and they are calling on Congress to act quickly when it returns this week. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, which falls under DHS, then determines whether the facility is considered high risk and therefore must develop a security plan. Congress gave the department the authority to begin the chemical security program in 2006, and it went into effect the following year. Homeland Security officials say the program's lapse has left them without a vital security tool.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, ”, Kelly Murray, Sen, Rand Paul, Paul, ” Paul, there's, Murray, she's, reauthorized, they're, Matt Fridley, “ They’re, Scott Jensen Organizations: WASHINGTON, Department of Homeland Security, Chemical, Homeland Security, Homeland, Chemical Security, Infrastructure Security Agency, DHS, Congress, Kentucky Republican, & Infrastructure Security Agency, American Chemistry Council Locations: Virginia, Kentucky

☆ Ted Cruz accused JD Vance of empowering 'the radical Green Movement' by aligning with Democrats on a bill to prevent rail disasters like the East Palestine crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

JD Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, proposed the Rail Safety Act in March. "All of us were moved by the testimony of the witnesses" from East Palestine, Cruz said. "We cannot undo the psychological, economic, and physical toll of the derailment in East Palestine," Vance noted, but "there will be another East Palestine in this country if we do not pass the Railway Safety Act." "I earnestly hoped that we would reach a bipartisan consensus," Cruz said, but "this bill is overly and needlessly prescriptive." Nonetheless, Cruz doubted the bill would pass the Senate with 60 votes, let alone the House.

☆ UK government eyes ban on single-use plastic plates and cutlery
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Single-use plastic cutlery, plates and other items are set to be banned by the UK government and replaced by biodegradable items as it seeks to tackle the country’s – and the world’s – growing plastic waste problem. The Financial Times reported that the UK Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey will announce firm plans in the coming weeks. The government said 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion items of single-use cutlery are used in England each year, equivalent to 20 plates and 75 pieces of cutlery per person. The European Union banned single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds last summer. In the US, California put in place sweeping new restrictions on single-use plastic in June, requiring all single-use packaging and plastic single-use food serviceware be recyclable or compostable by 2032.

☆ Freight railroad service is terrible, even without the threat of a strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But that doesn’t mean freight railroads are providing good service to their customers. Many of the problems tangling up the supply chain, driving up prices and slowing the economy can be traced to the steady decline in freight rail service in recent years. Some experts who represent rail customers who have complained about service in the past say service has gotten better since earlier this year. “The national freight rail network is broken, and the need for long-term rail reform is clear. Union Pacific (UNP), Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKA) Burlington Northern Santa Fe all reported record earnings in 2021.

☆ Biden signs bill averting rail worker strike despite lack of paid sick days
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The initial agreement brokered by the Biden administration was accepted by all but four rail unions, who were holding out for guaranteed paid sick leave days. A strike by rail workers so close to the holiday season — and in a period of high inflation — could potentially devastate the economy. The House on Wednesday approved a separate measure that would have added seven days of paid sick leave to the contract instead of just one. He said has long been a proponent of paid sick leave, and will still work to make it a right for all workers, not just rail workers. "It's looking like the Democrats are standing with our members and making sure that our members get sick leave.

Tiny fragments of plastic have been found in blood samples, stools and placentas of unborn babies, recent studies have shown. Scientists are trying to understand the health risks of this new phenomenon, but concerns range from the impact on organs to how some plastic additives might disrupt hormonal systems. Jodie Roussell, public affairs lead for packaging and sustainability at Swiss consumer goods giant Nestle (NESN.S), told the panel she hoped the treaty would help establish global quality controls for plastic, especially recycled plastic. Roussell said in lieu of such standards, Nestle has established its own quality controls and a black list for certain materials. International standards would help with "levelling the playing field and ensuring a fair distribution of responsibility across the value chain," Roussell said.

☆ Exclusive: UN treaty must tackle production of problematic plastics, Japan says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( John Geddie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - A proposed United Nations plastic waste treaty must consider putting restrictions on the most problematic plastics, Japan's lead negotiator told Reuters, marking the first time the country has suggested it would support curbs on plastic production. However, on the same panel, Stewart Harris, a lobbyist for the American Chemistry Council, a trade association for some of the world's biggest plastic producers, warned that any move to restrict plastic production could backfire. "There will be tremendous unintended consequences if we were to restrict production." Plastic output is projected to double within 20 years, while the amount of plastic waste flowing into the world's oceans is forecast to triple in that period. The Swiss food and drink giant is among several big brands that have called for a reduction in virgin plastic production to bolster markets for recycled material and catalyse a shift towards reusable packaging.

New York CNN Business —From retailers and computer chip makers to the oil-and-gas industry, businesses are scrambling to find workarounds where possible for a potentially devastating freight rail strike. Retailers, which rely on rail to move cargo from ports to warehouses, are considering shifting the timing of orders and shipments. Critically, the rail strike could disrupt the supply of chlorine and other critical chemicals used to keep drinking water safe. The oil-and-gas industry, for instance, warns a rail shutdown would spark fuel supply crunches and price spikes. “Congress appears likely to intervene in the coming days to avert a rail strike,” economists at Goldman Sachs wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday.

☆ Products Made With Captured Greenhouse Gas Are Reaching Commercial Scale
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Straws, bottles and packaging made with captured greenhouse-gas are starting to reach commercial scale, offering a way for businesses making and using everyday products to reduce emissions contributing to global warming. Origin Materials Inc. and Newlight Technologies Inc. are trying to meet that demand by bringing factories online that use captured emissions to manufacture materials used to make products including clothes, tires and plastic bottles. Sourcing and transporting raw inputs and captured CO2 are crucial to a product’s so-called carbon-negative credentials, meaning more CO2 is stored than created. The private company sources captured emissions from dairy farms, ethanol plants and landfills, and is expanding into coal mines and exploring direct-air capture. Competitor Origin Materials has a different approach to acquiring captured emissions and plans for its first commercial-scale factory to come online next year.

☆ Tech companies begin rerouting critical chip supplies to trucks with rail strike looming
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Technology companies supplying critical semiconductor chips to the economy have started shifting cargo shipments from railroads to trucks with a national freight rail strike looming. The moves are being made, DHL Global Forwarding tells CNBC, in an effort to avoid any pre-strike rail preparations that would force freight rail companies to prioritize cargo. "This is tech cargo originating out of California," said Goetz Alebrand, head of ocean freight for the Americas at DHL Global Forwarding. "There are more trucks and chassis, but that does not mean there are enough trucks to move all rail cargo onto trucks," Alebrand said. Delays incurred by a rail strike would only add to the late charges shippers pay the railroads on late cargo.

☆ Rail workers at biggest unions split on contract, strike potential unclear
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Workers at two of the country's biggest rail unions split over a tentative contract their leaders had hashed out with freight rail companies — leaving open the possibility of a debilitating rail strike in the middle of the holiday season. The 28,000-member SMART-TD union, which represents rail conductors, voted no on the contract, after one of their divisions voted it down. A strike could also impact the country’s commuter rail system, with the potential to halt service entirely on some lines serviced by freight rail workers and cause backlogs and traffic snarls on others. The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents rail companies in the bargaining process warned about the economic threats of a strike. The Association of American Railroads, the trade group which represents the rail companies, estimates losses of $2 billion a day.

☆ With U.S. economy at risk, here's how a national rail strike could start in December
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The strike prep calendar for rail operators, customers, and logistics managers continues to be in flux with a lack of coordination between key rail unions leaving open the potential for two strike dates in December. BMWED, which represents the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, is scheduled to strike on December 5 with the The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS). But unlike BMWED, the BRS — which can also strike after its cooling-off period ends on Dec. 4 — has not indicated whether it will extend its deadline for talks. According to federal safety measures, railroad carriers begin prepping for a strike seven days before the strike date. The carriers start to prioritize the securing and movement of security sensitive materials like chlorine for drinking water and hazardous materials in the rail winddown.

☆ Chemicals industry warns that rail strike will shut plants and cost economy billions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ninety-six hours before a strike deadline, all chemical shipments are no longer moved. "We would expect a similar dramatic reduction in chemical shipments if an embargo were to take place this month." The start of rail strike preparation will depend on the voting results from some of the largest rail unions yet to ratify the labor deal recommended by President Biden's Presidential Emergency Board. If SMART-TD or BLET rejects the agreement, the strike date would be December 9, the day after their cooling-off period ends. BMWED has said it would extend its own cooling-off period to align with the new strike date.

☆ The US never banned asbestos. These workers are paying the price.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Kathleen Mcgrory | Neil Bedi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +39 min

But protocols failed to match reality at the Niagara Falls plant, according to more than a dozen workers. In addition to those signature diseases, which are rare even among asbestos workers, the tiny strands can harm the body in other ways. In the 15 years that followed, congressional attempts to ban asbestos would continue to fall short. OSHA declined to make an official available for an on-the-record interview or comment on ProPublica's findings at the Niagara Falls plant. At the OxyChem plant in Wichita, union president Keith Peacock said he was comfortable with the way asbestos was handled.

But that doesn’t mean that the freight railroads are providing good service to their customers. Many of the problems tangling up the supply chain, driving up prices and slowing the economy can be traced to the steady decline in freight rail service in recent years. “Railroads understand that service is not at the level customers expect or deserve. “”I’m told by a lot of our members that this has been the worst rail service year in their careers. For rail customers there is basically no alternative for the products they ship.

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