Earlier this year (February 2014), scientists discovered large quantities of plastispheres in the ocean. They defined this new term, plastisphere, as a new research field to describe the close relationship between plastic debris and microbial communities in aquatic systems. Initially, scientists found over a thousand species of microorganisms attached to and living on microplastics in the ocean, including known dangerous pathogens found in animal and human habitats. While scientists haven't yet determined how these microorganisms survive on microplastics, they suggest they may utilize certain components of the microplastics as nutrients, or they may ingest the microplastics, mistaking them for food, and obtain nutrients as they pass through the digestive tract. These suspended plastispheres pose a serious threat to the marine food chain and human health, which is at the top of the food chain. Because the US wastewater treatment system cannot effectively intercept the plastic beads used in facial cleansing products to remove dead skin cells, it is estimated that up to 19 tons of these beads enter the wastewater treatment system annually. These microbeads, carried by the water flow, eventually enter the ocean and form plastispheres. In light of this, some cosmetic manufacturers in the United States have voluntarily stopped adding microbeads to their products, demonstrating their commitment to preventing microplastics from entering the ocean. The governments of Illinois and New York are also expected to draft legislation to ban similar exfoliating cleansers.

In May 2014, Minnesota became the first state in the U.S. to pass legislation banning the sale of consumer personal care products containing triclosan. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was still reviewing and assessing the health risks of triclosan in consumer personal care products, Minnesota took the lead in passing legislation to ban the sale of such products. In addition to targeting triclosan, the bill also specifies the handling of certain mercury and lead-containing products and the use of formaldehyde in children's consumer products. Despite strong opposition from the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), which urged the state government to wait for the FDA to complete a comprehensive evaluation of triclosan before making a conclusion, Minnesota defied public opinion and announced that the ban would take effect on January 1, 2017. Even though the ACI believed that the amount of triclosan added to personal care products was insufficient to cause adverse effects on human health, in April of this year (2014)... Avon announced it will phase out triclosan in its products, and major retail brands Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, in response to international trends, have also announced restrictions on the use of triclosan in their products. For details of the bill, please refer to the attachment: State of Minnesota_LS88-S

An international report quantifying pollution levels has revealed New Delhi, India's capital, to be the world's most air-polluted city, confirming findings from some experts. These experts are astonished by New Delhi's apparent lack of attention to the problem. PM2.5, particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, is considered a major health risk due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs. On Thursday, air pollution monitors in New Delhi recorded PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 350 micrograms per cubic meter. This was one of the highest levels recorded in Asia that day, more than double the morning peak in Beijing as reported by the US Embassy in China. A WHO report examining pollution levels in nearly 1,600 cities across 91 countries from 2008 to 2013 found that Delhi's annual average PM2.5 concentration was 153 micrograms per cubic meter. The Indian cities of Patna, Gwalior, and Raipur followed closely behind Delhi, ranking among the most air-polluted cities. Delhi's pollution levels were almost three times those of Beijing, whose annual average was 59. A New York Times article in January 2014 claimed that Delhi's PM2.5 concentration was at least twice that of Beijing, resulting in pollution issues making headlines in India's largest newspaper for several weeks, though government officials strongly denied the claims. The Indian official agency, the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SQFR),...

The Environmental Management Regulations for New Chemical Substances in China (Ministry of Environmental Protection Order No. 7) have been in effect for over three years since October 2010. Manufacturers still face some unresolved issues and challenges in complying with the regulations. The following summarizes the implementation results in recent years: – The number of routine declarations has increased dramatically year by year, with over 80% belonging to hazardous or key environmentally hazardous new chemical substances. This clearly demonstrates the necessity of registration management and the active response from enterprises, while the government's technical enforcement capabilities have gradually improved. The types of routine declarations are becoming increasingly diverse. Early on, routine and joint declarations were common; since 2013, series declarations and duplicate declarations have emerged. It can be observed that in addition to declarations from source manufacturers or importers, many overseas manufacturers choose to declare themselves. – The number of simplified declaration applications has been decreasing year by year. This is because after the repeal of the old management regulations (Order No. 17), new chemical substances registered under the old regulations were in a transitional phase and needed to be resubmitted after Order No. 7 came into effect and the old registration certificates expired. Therefore, the number of applications in the initial period after Order No. 7 came into effect was low.

China's Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Plan for 2014-2015 Released, Accelerating Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Development. On May 26, the General Office of the State Council of China issued the "Action Plan for Energy Conservation, Emission Reduction and Low-Carbon Development (2014-2015)," outlining specific targets for energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction for the next two years. Industry analysts believe that the energy conservation and environmental protection sector is expected to benefit from this. The Action Plan sets specific targets for energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction for the next two years: from 2014 to 2015, energy consumption per unit of GDP, chemical oxygen demand, sulfur dioxide, ammonia nitrogen, and nitrogen oxide emissions should decrease by more than 3.9%, 2%, 2%, 2%, and 5% respectively annually. The Action Plan clarifies 30 specific measures to promote energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction in eight aspects: 1. Vigorously promote industrial restructuring; 2. Accelerate the construction of energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon reduction projects; 3. Focus on energy conservation and carbon reduction in key areas; 4. Strengthen technological support; 5. Further strengthen policy support; 6. Actively promote market-oriented energy conservation and emission reduction mechanisms; 7. Strengthen monitoring, early warning, and supervision; and 8. Implement target responsibilities. The plan also proposes that by 2015, the total output value of the energy conservation and environmental protection industry will reach 4.5 trillion yuan. Energy conservation and emission reduction have always been one of the important tasks of the Chinese government. The 12th Five-Year Plan clearly set binding targets for reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, and reducing the total emissions of major pollutants. However, it is worth noting that the completion of some targets from 2011 to 2013 lagged behind the required schedule. Xu Shaoshi, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, recently addressed the National People's Congress...

Facing increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, the automotive industry has strategically responded with common tools. Today, the automotive industry is facing overwhelming challenges, stringent environmental regulatory requirements, ecological directives, and close attention from consumers and NGO groups. Various regulations and directives, including waste vehicle recycling regulations; End-of-life Vehicle Directive; Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE); Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS); Voluntary Disclosure of Global Automotive The automobile industry faces severe challenges such as the Notified Substance List (GADSL) and EU REACH. Among them, the EU REACH finished product specifications have had a real impact on the automotive industry. REACH regulations require manufacturers to cooperate with phased registration and supply chain information transmission of substances of high concern. However, the product composition of the automotive industry is complex, covering diversified product compositions and A large-scale supply chain makes information collection and transmission more difficult. An automobile manufacturer cooperates with 3,000 suppliers to manufacture more than 8,000 components. The supply chain can be divided into seven levels. The first-tier supplier has as many as 1,500 sub-suppliers, and more than half of them are manufacturers outside Europe. In addition, products must also comply with different global substance standards. Current regulations and law revision trends tend to require manufacturers to effectively control relevant substances and communicate in the supply chain. In view of the impact of REACH regulations on the automotive industry, and in order to meet the information transmission in the supply chain, manufacturers must

Several major UK clothing companies have signed the "SCAP 2020 Commitment (Sustainable Clothing Action Plan)", pledging to collectively reduce their carbon footprint and achieve a sustainable clothing blueprint within the specified timeframe. Signatories and supporters include ten clothing retailers (representing 40% of UK sales), ten recyclers, and charities. The companies signing the SCAP pledge to play their roles in carbon reduction, waste reduction, and water conservation, using 2012 as the base year, implementing best practices in their respective action areas, and measuring and reporting results annually. The seven action areas are: 1. Measuring baseline positions and tracking changes in carbon footprint using common assessment tools. 2. Reducing the environmental footprint of clothing by sourcing environmentally friendly fibers and fabrics. 3. Reducing the environmental footprint of production processes in the long term through collaboration with supply chain partners. 4. Reducing environmental impact by extending the lifespan of clothing through product design and services. 5. Reducing the environmental footprint of clothing by influencing consumer behavior through effective advocacy. 6. Restoring the maximum value of old clothing through recycling and reuse. 7. Developing action plans to help reduce textile waste. Source: Green Trade Information Network (2013-11-09)

 A World Bank report released on November 18th indicates that global economic losses from extreme weather events have increased to nearly $200 billion annually over the past decade, and this figure appears poised to rise further as climate change worsens. A UN team of scientists has warned that weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms are likely to become more severe in the next century as greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming. Rachel Kyte, Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank, stated, “Economic losses are increasing, from $50 billion a year in the 1980s to nearly $200 billion a year in the last decade, with three-quarters of those losses attributable to extreme weather.” “While you cannot link any single climate event to climate change, scientists have warned that the intensity of extreme weather events will increase if climate change is not curbed.” Munich Re (MUVGn.DE) estimates that reported disaster losses totaled $3.8 trillion from 1980 to 2012, with 74% of those losses attributed to extreme weather events. Typhoon Haiyan caused over 3,900 deaths when it made landfall in the Philippines this month, and was one of the strongest typhoons on record. Typhoon Haiyan drew global attention to the impacts of climate change, sounding an alarm just before the climate talks to be held in Warsaw, Poland, from November 11-22.

Eight multinational consumer product companies, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Nike, and Ford, are collaborating to explore the possibility of using plant-based sustainable plastics—bioplastics. These eight large companies, along with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), announced on the 20th the formation of the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA). A BFA representative believes that WWF will bring a scientific perspective to bioplastics and biofuels. "Looking back at the development of bioenergy, we can foresee the potential problems in the bioplastics industry. Many companies are considering how to prevent adverse consequences from the outset. Collaborating with WWF will provide a scientific basis for decision-making, helping to avoid negative environmental and social effects, and providing guidance for companies on food security, land use issues, and the widespread use of chemicals," said Erin Simon, WWF Packaging Science Program Manager. "Businesses know they must prepare for the future because resources will eventually run out. However, producing plastic bags from petrochemical materials is cheap and efficient, something biomass doesn't have an advantage in," Simon said. "Today's biomass materials are nothing more than sugarcane and corn, but these first-generation materials are seen as competitors to food crops, thus creating pressure to transition. The question is: are they really competitors to food crops? If so, what about the next generation?"

The US Nano Product Database has been updated. The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, initiated by the Woodrow Wilson Center International Center for Scholars in Washington state, established a nano product database in 2005, listing information on consumer products containing nanomaterials. Compared to the 1,628 consumer products in the database at the time of the last update (2010), the number of products has increased by 24%. In addition to the addition of new consumer products, the database has also added the following information: – Qualitative and quantitative information on nanomaterials, – Potential exposure risk pathways, – Publicly available scientific data related to these products. The database update also added a category for nano-silver consumer products, specifically to examine the impact and implications of using nano-silver in consumer products. Nanotech Consumer Products Database URL: http://www.nanotechproject.org/cpi/search-products/ Source: Chemical Watch (2013-11-13) (Compiled by PIDC)

The US has seized over 200,000 toy dolls made in China containing SVHC (phthalate-containing chemicals). US officials announced on the 19th that US Customs has seized more than 200,000 toy dolls from China because they contain prohibited chemicals. These toys contain high concentrations of phthalates, plasticizers used to make materials softer and more flexible. Under US law, this chemical is prohibited in children's toys. These toy dolls, valued at nearly $500,000, were expected to be imported for the US Christmas gift market. Ten shipments were seized in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Memphis, and Portland. Because these toys pose a health and safety hazard to children, the U.S. Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center has been monitoring these shipments since April. Inez Tenenbaum, president of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), stated in a statement: "We were already using advanced technology to track these shipments before they arrived at the port to protect the safety of American consumers." The CPSC is reportedly working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to combat dangerous imports at several major ports.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft guideline for green procurement to assist federal agencies in purchasing more environmentally friendly and safer cleaning materials and other products from private companies. The agency is seeking public comment on the draft guideline, "Draft Guidelines for Product Environmental Performance Standards & Ecolabels for Voluntary Use in Federal Procurement." The EPA is also exploring opportunities and methods to integrate currently available non-state-issued environmental standards and ecolabels into its federal procurement guidelines. The guideline was developed by the General Services Administration (GSA) and other government procurement agencies to achieve the goal of procuring environmentally friendly products for federal procurement. The guideline aims to standardize data on environmental performance and compare ecolabels. Jim Jones of the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention stated that this guideline will help federal procurement officials better achieve the existing 95% sustainable procurement target. For details of the draft guideline, please see the attachment: US_EPA_dr

 Vancouver, Canada's largest city on the west coast, launched a new cigarette butt recycling pilot program earlier this month. This initiative, which sets up cigarette butt recycling stations in downtown Vancouver, aims to help keep the city clean and move closer to Vancouver's goal of becoming the city's greenest city by 2020. The Cigarette Waste Brigade pilot program, a world-first waste recycling mechanism, has placed 110 cigarette butt recycling bins in several busy areas of downtown Vancouver, prominently labeled "Recycle Your Butts Here." The recycled cigarette butts will be processed by the multinational value-added recycling company TerraCycle Canada into various industrial products, such as recycled plastic pellets. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson stated that people want simple and convenient ways to keep our city streets and public spaces clean. Cigarette butts are one of the main sources of litter in downtown Vancouver, and this innovative recycling pilot program in partnership with TerraCycle Canada will effectively reduce toxic cigarette butts on the streets and in landfills. Contrary to popular belief, cigarette filters are extremely difficult to decompose in the natural environment. These filters are made of cellulose acetate, and the toxins they contain can be harmful at key stages of the aquatic food chain. Cigarette butts are one of the most common...

The Food Contact Materials Panel (CEF) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently approved the use of two oxygen absorbers, one additive, and one plasticizer. The approved materials are as follows: – Iron (O) modified bentonite and iron (O) modified kaolinite, as oxygen absorbers from the food environment. – 2,2,4,4-Tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutane-diol, as a comonomer used in the production of polyesters. The panel concluded that the substances are safe for contact with non-fatty foods when the diol concentration is at least 35 mol% and the materials are stored at room temperature or below for extended periods. – When used as a plasticizer, polyglycerol shall not exceed 6.5% by weight in aliphatic-aromatic polyesters.

Global pollution is not just about the greenhouse effect and emissions; science has confirmed that the rate of increase in waste has surpassed other environmental pollutants, gradually destroying the planet. A recent paper published in the internationally renowned scientific journal *Nature* shows that the world produces approximately 3.5 million tons of waste daily. If this rate continues, by 2100, the world will have produced an additional 11 million tons of waste daily, turning the Earth into a giant garbage dump. Major waste-producing countries include China, South Korea, Brazil, and Mexico, with some of their landfills handling over 10,000 tons of waste daily. Even the oceans are experiencing massive garbage eddies, and people are continuing to produce more than twice that amount of waste. The major waste problem is particularly acute in metropolitan areas, as urban residents typically generate two to four times the amount of waste compared to rural residents. However, urbanization worldwide is accelerating, significantly impacting waste reduction. To improve the current situation, the only solutions are to slow global population growth, fundamentally improve urban resource management, and upgrade packaging reduction technologies. Environmental experts believe that these improvements will not only benefit the environment but also have positive impacts on economic benefits and society as a whole. Experts at the journal *Nature* believe that Japan serves as a model in overall waste management. While the US and Japan have comparable GDP per capita, Japan generates one-third less waste per person than the US. For example, Kawasaki Heavy Industries reduced its waste by 565,000 tons annually after improving its industrial processes, demonstrating significant efficiency. (Source: Environmental Information Center, 2013-11-04)