Regulatory and Society
Q1 2024 Market Update
SUMMARY: Legal wrangling over plastic and PFAS legislation sets in across the US and Canada
Lawsuits accusing major chemical companies of polluting U.S. drinking water with toxic PFAS chemicals led to over $11 billion in settlements in 2023, with experts predicting that new federal regulations and a growing awareness of the breadth of PFAS contamination in the U.S. will spur more litigation and settlements in the year ahead. Reuters California’s attorney general issued an advisory letter stating intention to make enforcement of violations of the state’s ban on added PFAS in foodservice packaging a “priority” in the coming years. Specific actions and means of enforcement remain unclear, however. About 44% of Americans have a “great deal” of worry about the environment according to a Grub Hub study released in December, a concern that carries over to dining out decisions; 57% of consumers consider sustainability when choosing a restaurant. Restaurants discard large quantities of edible food every day, representing a financial loss and contributing to environmental issues and an industry trend to watch is implementation of data-driven food waste management strategies, techniques and tools, including Internet of Things (IoT), advanced analytics, AI, robotics, and chemical / oil recycling services. Machine learning and predictive analytics are beginning to enable equipped restaurants to minimize over-purchasing and reduce food spoilage, measures with downstream reduction of foodservice industry carbon footprint. Start Us Insights Federal Court in Canada overturned the country’s ban on single -use plastics, deeming the policy “unreasonable and unconstitutional.” The court found that the classification of plastics in the cabinet order was too broad to be listed as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The decision impacts the government’s ban on six single -use plastic items, and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is considering an appeal, putting restaurant operators and suppliers in limbo as they await subsequent rulings to clarity the long-term status of single use plastics in their businesses. Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority, MacMillan LLC .
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