Page 28 - Plastics News October 2024

ENVIRONMENT NEWS

Experts, including toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, recommend avoiding black plastic items for food stor-
age and children's toys, emphasizing that such plastics should not be recycled due to their potential
chemical contamination.

While flame retardants play a critical role in fire prevention, particularly in electronics, their unintend-
ed presence in everyday products raises concerns. Dr. Leonardo Trasande of NYU Langone Health
stressed that brominated flame retardants pose
serious health risks and bioaccumulate in the hu-
man body.

Consumers are advised to replace black plastic
kitchen items with stainless steel alternatives, reg-
ularly clean their homes to reduce dust contami-
nation, and avoid reheating food in black plastic
containers. The study calls for stricter policies to
prevent harmful chemicals like flame retardants
from entering the recycling stream and contaminat-
ing new products, posing a risk to public health.

Source: CNN

New Global Fund Launched to Support Chemi-

cals and Waste Management in Developing

Economies

A
year after the adoption of the Global Framework on Chemicals in Bonn, the United Nations has
launched a new fund aimed at supporting the safe and sustainable management of chemicals
and waste in developing economies. This initiative is designed to help disadvantaged coun-
tries tackle pollution and chemical waste, both of which pose significant threats to public health and
the environment. “Pollution and waste are daily crises that threaten human health, disrupt economies,
and cause permanent damage to nature,” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of UNEP’s Industry and
Economy Division. “This historic Framework is now moving from words to action, providing tangible
support to those most affected by these challenges.”

The Global Framework on Chemicals was adopted at the Fifth International Conference on Chemicals
Management in September 2023. The conference, which brought together governments, the private
sector, civil society, and academia, resulted in the creation of a dedicated trust fund to support low-
and middle-income countries, including small island developing states, in addressing the impact of
chemicals and waste. Selected projects will receive between $300,000 and $800,000 over a three-
year period, with a requirement for 25% co-financing or in-kind contributions.

These projects will focus on green and sustainable solutions aimed at preventing and minimizing harm

28 PLASTICS NEWS October 2024