On 13 February 2023, EU Member States approved the text of a REACH Restriction on Formaldehyde released from articles. The text will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, after which it will become law. A relatively long transition period is foreseen as it shall apply 48 months after its entry into force for road vehicles, and 36 months after its entry into force for all other articles within its scope.

22 March 2023, the European Commission proposed common criteria against greenwashing and misleading environmental claims. The proposal will give consumers more clarity and certainty that when something is sold as "green", it indeed is, and better information to help them choose environmentally friendly products and services.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) added four substances of very high concern (SVHC) to the candidate list for authorisation on 17 January 2022.
The candidate list for authorisation now contains 223 chemical substances.

This study examined which type of ecodesign criteria for textile products would have the greatest impact. The results will hopefully serve as input for the EU textile strategy.

This report aims to improve the knowledge about opportunities and challenges of textile waste recycling technologies, developed and applied at global and EU level.

How do the chemical and plastics sectors view circularity and what concrete steps are they taking to make the world of chemistry and plastics more sustainable? VLAIO business advisor Rik Candries had an instructive chat with Ann Verlinden, Karen Van Wesenbeeck and Wannes Libbrecht of Catalisti and Isabel De Schrijver of Centexbel. Two organisations that have a broad view on the sector, based on their connecting role between the business and knowledge worlds.

In order to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, it is vital we speak with a common voice, using a common language and definitions that can be used by all.

Through its procurement policy, Flanders can be an important lever for the deployment of plastic recyclate. An OVAM study, conducted by Centexbel-VKC, provides proposals to promote the sales in nine building applications, including PVC window profiles, sun protection and insulation. These materials and products can be produced from plastic recyclate without loss of quality or technical objections.

DARK WATERS tells the shocking and heroic story of attorney Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) inspired by a true story. He risked his career and his family to fight one of the world’s largest corporations and help a community that was exposed to dangerous PFAS chemicals.

In the supercritical CO2 phase, the CO2 exhibits both the properties of a gas (high diffusivity and low viscosity) and the properties of a liquid (high density), making scCO2 a very interesting extraction medium.