EU packaging rules: Why small firms are sounding the alarm

In a drive to cut waste and improve public health, new European Union rules take effect on Wednesday, banning high levels of PFAS "forever chemicals" in packaging.

Under the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), any new packaging products entering the market will now have to meet tighter standards if designed to come into contact with food.

PFAS have been linked to increased risks of certain cancers and other health conditions.

Although the amount of material people are exposed to from food packaging is usually low, scientists are worried about the long-term effects.

After all, PFAS are highly persistent chemicals and accumulate in the body and the environment.

PFAS are used to make paper and cardboard packaging both grease- and water-resistant and are found in everything from pizza boxes to TV dinners.

Packaging with lower PFAS reduces the risk of these persistent chemicals migrating into food or the natural world when thrown away.

The new rules are in addition to curbs on bisphenol A (BPA) in food-contact materials, which took effect across the EU last month.