NEWS Denmark scraps planned phthalate ban The Danish government's proposal to ban the phthalates DEHP, DBP, DIBP and BBP has reportedly been withdrawn. The European Commission had previously warned that the ban would go against EU rules, as was reflected in the verdict of a related court case. Read more.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION: Triclosan ECHA has launched a public consultation on Triclosan as a potential candidate for substitution. The consultation is focusing only on the main group “Disinfectants”, product-type 1 “human hygiene”.Interested parties are invited to submit relevant information, including information on available substitutes. Deadline for submission is 15 August 2014. Read more.
REPORT Study on EU Implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury The European Commission has released the final draft report prepared in view of the EU becoming a party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury. This is due to be finalised by October 2014. Read the report.
REPORT Survey of Phthalates in Products in Sweden At the request of the Swedish government, the Swedish Chemicals Agency has published a survey of phthalates in articles in Sweden. This covers which phthalates are present, in which articles they can occur and available alternatives. Read more.
SURVEY Replacing hazardous chemicals in medical devices HCWH Europe is carrying out research on the safety of alternatives to phthalates and BPA in medical devices. If your hospital or local authority is already engaged in substituting hazardous chemicals in medical devices, please share your experience with us by answering a short questionnaire.
CLIMATE AND ENERGY
NEWS: British Doctors Vote to Divest from Fossil Fuels A motion to divest from fossil fuel investments and switch to “100% renewable” electricity suppliers was passed with a significant majority at the British Medical Association's annual conference in June. Read more.
STUDY: Effects of climate change in Europe quantified by JRC A new report issued by the European Commission's Joint Research Council (JRC) estimates that if no further climate action is taken and global temperature increases by 3.5°C, damages in the EU could amount to at least €190 billion. This would be equivalent to a net welfare loss of 1.8% of its current GDP. Read the study.
NANOMATERIALS
REPORT Commission releases nanomaterials reports The European Commission has released three draft reports on the "Study to Address the Impact of Possible Legislation to Increase the Transparency of Nanomaterials on the Market". Read more.
REPORT: Managing the unseen - opportunities and challenges with nanotechnology The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation's new report deals with the possibilities, challenges and risks of nanotechnology. The report calls for the EU to urgently issue a harmonised definition of nanomaterials and for the Swedish government to develop a national strategy for safety and a national inventory system. Read the report.
POLICY
New EU GPP criteria published
The Commission has published new Green Public Procurement criteria for Electrical and Electronic Equipment used in the Health Care Sector. These voluntary criteria include requirements for 20 product groups consisting of different types of energy-using equipment, with a particular focus on energy efficiency. Chemicals criteria were not included. Read the criteria and see our response.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD
SURVEY: Food purchasing within the European health sector HCWH Europe is investigating best practices in sustainable and healthy food in healthcare systems across Europe. If you are a healthcare procurer or a hospital’s catering manager, please share your experience with us by completing a shortsurvey in English, French or Italian.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
EVENT Understanding Treatment Technologies and Recovery of Value: A SeminarLondon, 25 September 2014 The Healthcare Waste and Resources Research Group, at the University of Northampton will host a one day seminar focusing on treatment technologies and recovering value from healthcare waste.Register online.
MEMBER UPDATES
PUBLICATION Centre for Sustainable Healthcare brochure CSH has published a new brochure outlining its approaches and programmes in the field of sustainable models of care. This details how CSH is working to make greener healthcare mainstream within clinical areas. Read the brochure.
