Packaging legislation

EU ETS in the first phase up to 2008. The structural outline of a possible legislative package has been suggested, which could achieve the safeguarding of commercial and legal certainty under the current allocation regime, while at the same time providing a basis for amendment of the allocation mechanism under the EU ETS for phase II or beyond. The EC State aid law issue is a serious one and it needs to be taken into account by the Commission, the Member States and private parties in their future actions in this area. 

Of the estimated 710,000 t consumed in 1990, 25% was used to produce vinyl chloride [75-01-4] monomer (VCM), 14% for vinyl acetate [108-05-4] monomer (VAM), 23% for butanediol, 14% for industrial use, and the balance to produce other products such as acryUc acid, synthetic mbber, chlorinated solvents, and acetylene black. The demand for PVC is expected to decrease as legislation limiting its use in packaging is pending. Consequentiy, VCM consumption will also suffer. 

Secondary Fiber. Increasing costs of taw fiber, legislative mandates for recycling (qv), and avadabdity of inexpensive waste papers have contfibuted to the increased use of recycled fibers. The use of secondary fiber in the United States has grown from 22% of pulp from all sources in 1978 to close to 31% (24 x 10 metric tons) in 1993 (3). Recycled fibers ate sometimes used in special writing papers, but the principal use is for the manufacture of linetboatd, newsprint, tissue, cereal boxes, towels, and molded paper products such as paper plates and egg cartons (see Packaging materials, containers AND INDUSTRIAL materials). 

Legislation to stay the ban has been passed in the U.S. Congress periodically. In December, 1991, the FDA withdrew its proposed ban. AH saccharin-containing packaged products are required to carry a warning label indicating that saccharin has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals. 

The two most important pieces of chemical control legislation enacted affecting the dye and pigment industries are the United States Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) and EEC s Classification, Packaging, and Labeling of Dangerous Substances and its amendments. Table 2 is a comparison of TSCA and the 6th Amendment of the EEC classifications. 

Existing legislative instruments, such as Directives relating to classification, packaging and labelling, are being examined with a view to possible modification for the purpose of regulating EDs. 

In 1994, it is apparent that time has largely borne out these predictions. Where there has been no legislation the use of photodegradants appears to be diminishing. However, in at least one major industrial country legislation has taken place which will prevent use of non-degradable packaging films. 

The greatest challenge to polyethylene is not from other materials but arises as a consequence of its own success. The vast quantities of polyethylene used each year for packaging have resulted in an undesirable level of litter. As a result of public resistance and, in some countries, legislation, growth in the use of polyethylene for packaging may be constrained in the future. 

Table 14.1 Legislation affecting the classification, packaging, labelling and carriage of dangerous substances in Great Britain (including their movement in harbours and harbour areas)...

Information management system designed to aid in the creation of MSDSs. Includes packages containing hazardous materials data for compliance with "Right to Know" legislation. 

In addition to the solid waste problem, we can also expect that with expanding population or expanding demands of a static population, there will be societal pressure to reduce material usage over and above cost factors. These pressures could result in legislation to expand the environmental protection philosophy. For example, since plant materials are a renewable resource as well as readily recyclable, we may expect forced increases in paper-based packages. 

This idea is already embodied in the 1968 Food Amendments legislation in FDA. We expect the concept of close control of packaging ma-... 

We can expect drastic changes in the food packaging industry. Some will arise from new consumer needs, new or expanded food supplies and products, and new food preservation systems such as aseptic packaging. Others will result from societally based constraints such as safety in health and hazardous use (as in the child safety closure legislation) and consumer protection against fraud, misinformation, or wrongful use where the burden for awareness is no longer on the buyer but on the supplier. Other such constraints will arise from environmental concerns or material scarcities. 

Confusion as to what constitutes municipal waste is presenting an obstacle to the use of packaging waste as a fuel in cement kilns. Whilst cement kilns can bum hazardous waste, they cannot bum a wide range of non-hazardous materials, it is reported. The case of Castle Cement is described which planned to bum a range of non-hazardous commercial and industrial wastes. Some waste-fired combustion processes, however, such as UK Waste s Fibre Fuel operation have been granted derogations where fuel is manufactured by advanced mechanical processes, which includes the production of fuel pellets. This latter process would be pointless for the cement industry since their fuels have to be pulverised. The problems are further discussed with reference to current European legislation. 

This article reviews packaging legislation in the USA, and includes details of the laws in several states. It also briefly outlines various packaging waste policies in other parts of the world. 

US legislation on food additives consists of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD C Act), the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, and other applicable laws including the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act. The FD C Act states that foods are adulterated if they contain color additives that have not been approved as safe to the satisfaction of the Food Drug Administration (FDA) for a particular use. ... 

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