Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Foodware Guide 3.0 is designed to equip restaurants and hotels with the tools to choose the best “ocean-friendly” products for their businesses and avoid greenwashing. Since the Ocean Friendly Foodware Guide 2.0 was launched in early 2024, even more foodware products have entered the market. With that, the plastic industry is working overtime to water down existing plastic-reduction policies, push false solutions like advanced recycling, and ramp up the production of plastics and bioplastics. In response, Surfrider has advocated for policies at every level of government to incentivize reusable packaging, reduce harmful chemical additives (such as PFAS) in foodware, ensure product labels align with proper disposal methods, and strengthen existing plastic bans.
Ocean Friendly Foodware Guide 3.0
This article from MADE SAFE explores the hidden environmental impacts of so-called “disappearing plastics.” Products such as laundry and detergent pods often use a material called polyvinyl alcohol, which is designed to dissolve in water. However, the article explains that dissolving does not necessarily mean the material disappears completely. It examines what happens to these plastics after use and discusses concerns about their potential contribution to microplastic pollution. The article encourages readers to take a closer look at everyday convenience products and consider their long-term environmental impacts.
This report from Environmental Defence examines the use of single-use plastic packaging in grocery stores across Canada. Researchers surveyed 54 high-traffic stores and found that many products rely heavily on flexible plastic packaging. Because only a small percentage of plastic packaging is recycled, much of this waste ends up in landfills, incinerators or the natural environment. The report also found that governments and grocery chains have few effective plans in place to reduce plastic packaging. This raises questions about how Canada will meet its goal of eliminating plastic waste by 2030.
Reusable packaging systems could play an important role in reducing waste from single-use plastics, but their success depends on both environmental impact and consumer participation. This study combines a life cycle assessment of single-use food containers with a survey of UK adults to explore these factors. The researchers determined that reusable containers generally have lower environmental impacts than single-use plastic products. They also found that consumer behaviour plays a major role in determining whether reuse systems succeed. People’s willingness to participate depends on factors such as the type of packaging and familiarity with the system. The findings provide insight into how to design the best packaging reuse system for a given product and situation.
In a Mamavation blog, Leah Segedie discusses plastic sandwich bags that were tested in a laboratory for PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” PFAS are sometimes used in plastic bags to improve durability, but have been linked to potential health and environmental concerns. The article compares sandwich bag brands and highlights which ones may contain lower levels of these chemicals. It aims to help readers make more informed choices about food storage products.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals,” are common in food packaging. These chemicals can move from packaging into the food we eat. In this study, researchers reviewed evidence on PFAS in food-contact materials. They found that they are still common in packaging despite global efforts to reduce their use. Additionally, safety data are missing for many of these chemicals. These findings reveal important gaps in our knowledge of PFAS in food packaging and support efforts to reduce their use to protect human health and the environment.
