Blog Posts on Rachel Langhill

In April 2018, the UK announced that it was establishing the world's first Plastics Pact as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy. The Pact is meant to bring together all key stakeholders to move towards a circular economy for plastics and plastic packaging in particular. In the last few weeks, two new national Pacts have been anno...

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 was first introduced to the US House of Representatives and the Senate on 11th February as SB 3263 and HB 5845. Then on 11th June, a related bill of the same name, SB 3944, was introduced to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.If passed, this latest bill would amend the...

South Korea's amendment decree of the Rules on the Packaging Materials and Packaging Methods will come into force by 1st July 2020, affecting producers and importers of small electronics and re-packaged products. The amendment comes after consultations in January 2019 regarding 'Measures Against Overpackaging', which are part of the implementation plan ...

The UK Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which leads the UK Plastics Pact, is collecting data by 26th June 2020 in order to track progress towards the Pact's established 2025 targets. Target 1: Eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging items.Target 2: All plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable.Target 3: 70% ...

​On 26th May 2020, Repak, Ireland's packaging EPR regime, issued some updates to its 2020 reporting guidelines for its members. Key changes are as follows: Plastic Reporting CategoriesBeginning for Half 1 2020 data, plastic reporting categories will be divided into the following sections and subsections:PlasticRecycled rigid plasticRecycled flexible plast...

In 2018, Australia announced four new National Packaging Targets to be reached by 2025:100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging;70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled or composted;50% average recycled content in packaging; andPhase out problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging.​The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation...

​Lorax EPI's US Managing Director Victor Bell was scheduled to present at the 35th Annual World Petrochemical Conference last month in New Orleans. While the in-person event has been postponed until next year, Bell has recorded his presentation, Introduction to Policy and Infrastructure, and it is now available for distribution.Here is a look at some of t...

​Since the beginning of 2020, there has been a trend around the world to update labelling schemes for packaging sorting instructions. These updated schemes simplify and harmonise countrywide sorting instructions, emphasise the importance of consumer education regarding recycling and highlight the need for a clean recycling stream.​​Some examples of update...

​With the rapid spread of COVID-19 comes a surge of uncertainty, a shift in legislative focus and a wave of temporary policies to maintain public health and minimise exposure to the virus.​​The general public is being directed to wash our hands more, avoid touching our faces and cough into elbows. People around the world are stockpiling plastic-wrapped to...