The European Environmental Bureau (EBB) is Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations – bringing together over 160 civil society organisations from more than 35 European countries.
Registration under REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals) is the pillar of the EU chemicals control law, obliging companies to provide the information needed to identify and control the dangers posed by chemicals. However, this information is not available for polymers because these plastic constituents were exempted from this obligation in 2006. Due to a review clause in REACH, this situation can change.
With Plastic Solutions Fund support, EEB, in collaboration with Food Packaging Forum (FPF) and ClientEarth, will work to ensure the registration of polymers is not further delayed, that all or most important polymer groups are prioritized for registration and that the information required from manufacturers/importers is meaningful, complete, of highest quality, and as independent as possible.
Additionally, they will work to ensure that companies are obliged to provide use data and generate and report toxicity and ecotoxicity information for the polymers that mostly contribute to the ongoing health and environment plastic crisis.
This information will support regulatory action to reduce the use and production of plastics by exposing hazardous properties and high volume and dangerous uses (e.g. in food contact materials, consumer products, etc.) of the plastics currently over-consumed.
