IPEN and affiliates have sent a letter to the SAICM Secretariat expressing concern with the joint International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) – UNEP study entitled “Knowledge management and information sharing for the sound management of chemicals.” The study was sent to SAICM stakeholders for comments to “inform the study.” The IPEN comments cover three areas: 1) important issues that are not part of the study; 2) issues that should be included in the study; and 3) concerns over UNEP’s private sector engagement.
Toxics Link has released a new report about microplastics in cosmetics. The report explains what microplastics are, how they end up in the environment, what their various impacts are (environmental, health, socio-economic, etc.), and alternatives to their use.
PRESS RELEASE
Your facewash might be cleaning your face but polluting the environment!
China is a global hotbed for chemically-intensive electronics manufacturing. Inventories of chemical releases known as Pollutant Release and Transfer Registries (PRTR) are a key chemical safety measure for industry accountability. The Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) and IPEN jointly released the report, “PRTR: Establishing a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register in China,” on May 8, 2018 in Beijing, China. The report introduces voluntary disclosure efforts undertaken by local departments and NGOs and emphasizes the importance of establishing a mandatory PRTR system with publicly accessible information. The two organizations also convened a discussion with representatives from academia, business and environmental groups on using a PRTR disclosure system to strengthen the management of hazardous chemicals.
IPEN Steering Committee Member Imogen Ingram from the Island Sustainability Alliance Cook Islands (ISACI) has co-authored an important paper about marine litter plastics and their toxic chemical components that has been published in Environmental Sciences Europe.
