How is Europe responding to the plastic challenge? – An overview of strategies in selected countries

The global plastics challenge has evoked countries to take action to reduce the environmental and health impacts of plastics. Measures are being taken both internationally and nationally to curb the harmful impacts of plastics and to create a sustainable circular economy of plastics. The EU is steering its member states in the right direction through a number of regulatory instruments, the most recent being the SUP Directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, which is currently being implemented in member states. The measures and schedules for their implementation vary from country to country and include both voluntary and statutory measures. This report presents the strategies of selected European countries to address the plastics challenge. The Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland), the large countries (France, Germany and United Kingdom, England and Scotland in particular) and the Netherlands, a pioneer in the circular economy, are included. Information was compiled primarily from countries' plastics strategies and other administrative documents and websites during the fall and winter of 2020 and early 2021. In addition, a short survey was carried out for supplementary information in fall 2020, directed to IG Plastics working group of the EPA Network. The survey was repeated in February 2022 to obtain updated information. The amount of information found varied between countries. In addition, the use of available information was limited by the fact that some countries mainly produce information in their own language. The identified policy instruments can be categorized into regulatory, market-based, informative and financing measures, and voluntary agreements. In addition to these, the transition towards a sustainable circular economy of plastics is supported by research and development activities that build knowledge and bring changes to various stages of the plastics value chain. Substitutes for traditional plastics, such as bio-based and biodegradable plastics, are being developed. There is significant potential in bioplastic, but a lot of development still needs to be done and comprehensive sustainability assessments are required. Based on the collected material, a number of measures are being taken in Europe to promote the circular economy of plastics. However, differences can be observed between countries in terms of the detail of plans and speed of action. From the point of view of the waste hierarchy, several measures focus on either waste prevention or recycling. In addition to the strategies examined, it would have been useful to have more information on the implementation schedules and effects. Such follow-up data was rarely available. Steering towards the circular economy of plastics is continuous and fast-paced, which is why it is encouraged to look for updates to the information presented in this report. The Covid-19 pandemic may also have affected the implementation of the planned measures. Miten Eurooppa vastaa muovihaasteeseen? – Katsaus valittujen maiden strategioihin Globaali muovihaaste on herättänyt maat toimimaan muovien ympäristö- ja terveysvaikutusten vähentämiseksi. Toimenpiteitä tehdään sekä kansainvälisesti että kansallisesti, jotta saataisiin hillittyä muovien haitallisia vaikutuksia ja muodostettua kestävä muovien kiertotalous. EU ohjaa jäsenmaitaan muovien kestävään kiertotalouteen useilla sääntelykeinoilla, uusimpana tiettyjen muovituotteiden ympäristövaikutusten vähentämistä koskeva SUP-Direktiivi (EU) 2019/904, jota on toimeenpantu viime vuosina kansallisesti eri jäsenmaissa. Erilaisten toimenpiteiden muodostamat kokonaisuudet sekä niiden toteutusaikataulut vaihtelevat maittain ja sisältävät sekä vapaaehtoisia että lain velvoittamia toimia. Tämä raportti kokoaa ja esittelee valittujen Euroopan maiden suunnitelmia muovihaasteen ratkaisemiseksi. Mukana ovat pohjoismaat (Suomi, Ruotsi, Norja, Tanska ja Islanti), suuret maat (Ranska, Saksa ja Yhdistyneestä kuningaskunnasta etenkin Englanti ja Skotlanti) ja kiertotalouden edelläkävijämaa Alankomaat. Tietoa kerättiin näiden maiden muovistrategioista, muista hallinnollisista dokumenteista ja nettisivuilta vuoden 2020 lopussa ja 2021 alussa. Tiedonsaannin edistämiseksi syksyllä 2020 laadittiin EPA-verkoston IG-Plastics-työryhmälle aiheesta lyhyt kysely, johon pyydettiin päivityksiä helmikuussa 2022. Tietoa löytyi vaihtelevasti. Lisäksi saatavilla olevan tiedon hyödyntämistä rajoitti joidenkin maiden tapa tuottaa tietoa lähinnä omalla kielellään. Toimenpidekokonaisuuksista tunnistettiin sääntelytoimenpiteitä, markkinaperusteisia toimenpiteitä, tiedotustoimenpiteitä, rahoitustoimenpiteitä ja vapaaehtoisia sopimuksia. Näiden lisäksi muutosta kohti kestävää muovien kiertotaloutta tukevat tutkimus- ja kehitystoimenpiteet, jotka tuovat tietoa ja uudistavat muovien arvoketjun eri vaiheita. Yksi kehityskohde on perinteisen muovin korvaajat, esimerkiksi biopohjaiset ja/tai biohajoavat muovit. Biopohjaisissa muoveissa on paljon potentiaalia, mutta kehitystyö on vielä alussa ja materiaalit vaativat kattavia kestävyysarvioita. Aineiston perusteella Euroopassa on käynnissä ja suunnitteilla lukuisia toimenpiteitä muovien kiertotalouden edistämiseksi. Maiden välillä voidaan kuitenkin havaita eroja esimerkiksi suunnitelmallisuudessa ja reagointinopeudessa. Jätehierarkian näkökulmasta useat toimenpiteet keskittyvät joko jätteiden ehkäisyyn tai kierrätykseen. Tutkittujen suunnitelmien lisäksi olisi ollut hyödyllistä saada enemmän tietoa mainittujen toimenpiteiden toteutusaikatauluista ja vaikutuksista. Tällaista seurantatietoa oli harvoin saatavilla. Ohjaus kohti muovien kiertotaloutta on jatkuvaa ja nopeatempoista, minkä vuoksi raportissa esitettyjen tietojen päivityksiä suositellaan etsimään. Covid-19-pandemia on myös osaltaan voinut vaikuttaa suunniteltujen toimenpiteiden toteuttamiseen

RÔLE DE LA LEUCINE CONTRE LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA SARCOPÉNIE

A progressive loss of muscle mass has been well described in both humans and rodents during ageing. This loss of proteins results from an imbalance between protein synthesis and degradation rates. Although some authors have shown a decrease of myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in human volunteers, this imbalance is not clearly apparent when basal rates of protein turnover are measured. A decrease in muscle protein synthesis stimulation has nevertheless been detected in ageing rats during the postprandial period, suggesting that the ‘meal signal’ is altered during ageing. Many results now suggest that aged muscle is less sensitive to the stimulatory effect of amino acids at physiological concentrations, but is still able to respond if the increase in aminoacidaemia is sufficiently large. Indeed, amino acids play an important role in regulating muscle protein turnover both in vitro and in vivo. Of amino acids, leucine seems to play the key role in regulating the metabolic function. It inhibits proteolysis and stimulates muscle protein synthesis independently of insulin. Leucine has been shown to act as a mediator, by modulating specifically the activities of intracellular kinases linked to the translation of proteins such as phosphatidylinositol 3_ kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin – 70 kDa ribosomal protein S6 (p70S6K) kinases. We recently demonstrated in vitro that protein synthesis in ageing rat muscles becomes resistant to the stimulatory effect of leucine in its physiological concentration range. Protein synthesis was however stimulated normally when the leucine concentration was increased well above its postprandial level. We also studied the effect of meal leucine supplementation on in vivo protein synthesis in adult and ageing rats. Leucine supplementation had no additional effect on muscle protein synthesis in adults but totally restored its stimulation in ageing rats. Whether chronic oral leucine supplementation would be beneficial for maintaining muscle protein mass in elderly humans remains to be studied.Une diminution de la masse musculaire au cours du vieillissement est aujourd'hui bien décrite chez l'Homme et l'animal. Cette perte de protéines résulte d'un déséquilibre entre synthèse et dégradation des protéines musculaires. Bien que certains auteurs aient pu montrer une diminution de la synthèse des protéines myofibrillaires chez l'Homme, ce déséquilibre est difficilement apparent dans la plupart des études menées à l'état post-absorptif. Cependant, une altération de la stimulation de la synthèse des protéines a été mise en évidence chez le rat âgé au cours de la phase post-prandiale suggérant que « l'effet repas » normalement observé était altéré au cours du vieillissement. Plusieurs travaux ont montré que le muscle âgé était moins sensible à l'effet anabolique des acides aminés aux concentrations physiologiques mais qu'il était toujours en mesure de répondre si d'importantes hyper-aminoacidémies étaient générées. En effet les acides aminés jouent un rôle majeur dans la régulation du métabolisme protéique, que ce soit in vivo ou in vitro. Parmi eux, la leucine semble être celui qui présente le plus fort effet. La leucine seule est capable d'inhiber la protéolyse et de stimuler la synthèse protéique indépendamment de l'insuline. Cet acide aminé, en plus d'être un substrat, est également un véritable médiateur cellulaire en modulant spécifiquement les activités de plusieurs kinases impliquées dans la régulation de l'initiation de la synthèse des protéines i.e phosphatidylinositol 3_ kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin-70 kDa ribosomal protein 56 (p70S6K) kinases. Nous avons montré récemment in vitro que la synthèse protéique musculaire devenait résistante à l'effet stimulateur de la leucine chez le rat âgé dans l'intervalle de ces concentrations physiologique. Cependant, si les concentrations de leucine étaient largement supérieures aux valeurs post-prandiales, la protéosynthèse était stimulée normalement. Nous avons donc étudié l'effet d'une supplémentation en leucine du régime sur la protéosynthèse du rat adulte et âgé in vivo. Cette supplémentation n'a pas eu d'effet additionnel chez l'adulte mais a permis de restaurer totalement la régulation post-prandiale du métabolisme protéique musculaire chez l'âgé. L'effet bénéfique d'une telle supplémentation en nutrition entérale chronique sur le maintien de la masse musculaire au cours du vieillissement reste cependant à étudier

Sustainable Development Goals and risks: The Yin and the Yang of the paths towards sustainability

The United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define a path towards a sustainable future, but given that uncertainty characterises the outcomes of any SDG-related actions, risks in the implementation of the Agenda need to be addressed. At the same time, most risk assessments are narrowed to sectoral approaches and do not refer to SDGs. Here, on the basis of a literature review and workshops, it is analysed how SDGs and risks relate to each other’s in different communities. Then, it is formally demonstrated that, as soon as the mathematical definition of risks is broadened to embrace a more systemic perspective, acting to maintain socioenvironmental systems within their sustainability domain can be done by risk minimisation. This makes Sustainable Development Goals and risks ‘‘the Yin and the Yang of the paths towards sustainability’’. Eventually, the usefulness of the SDG-risk nexus for both sustainability and risk management is emphasized. 2030 Agenda Environmental risks Planet boundaries Risk quantification Sustainability science Systemic approachpublishedVersio

The Nature of the Ingested Protein Has No Effect on Lean Body Mass During Energy Restriction in Overweight Rats

Severe energy restriction in obesity not only leads to fat mass loss but also to lean mass loss. The aim of this study was to compare the capacity of casein, a slowly digested protein, and milk soluble proteins (MSP; rapidly digested) to limit the loss of lean mass induced by energy restriction. Obesity was first induced in male Wistar rats by a 5-week feeding with a high-fat high-sucrose diet. The impact of energy restriction was then studied with high-protein (32%) diets containing either casein, MSP, or a 50/50 mixture of both proteins for 3 weeks (n = 10 per group). Food intake, body weight, nitrogen balance, creatinine, and 3-methyl-histidine excretion were measured during energy restriction. Then, tissue weights, plasma metabolic parameters (amino acids, glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides), and in vivo liver and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle protein synthesis rates were measured in postabsorptive state at the end of the experimental period. Although significant differences relevant to protein metabolism were observed between groups (protein intake, plasma amino acid concentrations, fecal nitrogen excretion, muscle protein synthesis rates), week per week, there were no significant differences in nitrogen balance whatever the protein used. In conclusion, our results show that in young overweight energy restricted rats, using a high-protein diet, the nature of protein intake has no influence on body protein retention

Spreading intake of a leucine-rich fast protein in energy-restricted overweight rats does not improve protein mass

International audienceObjective: Energy restriction decreases fat mass and fat-free mass. Our aim was to prevent the latter using type and timing of protein nutrition as tools. Methods: Young male Wistar rats were given a high-energy diet for 5 wk and then energy restricted and fed a high-protein diet containing caseins, milk-soluble proteins (MSP), or a casein– MSP mixture (n ¼ 9 per group) as the only source of protein for 3 wk. Food intake was spread over 12 h, whereas in a previous experiment rats consumed their daily ration within 2 to 3 h. Weight and food intake were recorded. The body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry before and after energy restriction. After 3 wk, the hind-limb muscles, the kidney, intestine, liver, and spleen weights, metabolic plasma parameters, and the liver and extensor digitorum longus muscle protein synthesis rates were measured in the postprandial state. Results: The food intake was similar in all groups. Energy restriction induced a significant decrease in body weight and fat mass (P < 0.001) and stopped the slow growth of lean body mass, with no differences between groups. Among all tissues, a significant effect was detected only for the intestine (P ¼ 0.0012), with a higher weight in the casein group. Postprandial liver and muscle protein synthesis rates were not different between groups. Conclusion: When using a high-protein diet spread over 12 h, the nature of the protein intake has no influence on the sparing of lean body mass during energy restriction in young overweight rats. Ó 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction Obesity has reached epidemic proportions: more than 1 billion adults are overweight, and at least 300 million are clinically obese [1]. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and contributes strongly to the global burden of the associated health costs. Obese individuals seeking weight loss often use restrictive diets, which lead to a decrease in adiposity but also to a loss of fat-free mass [2]. This loss of fat-free mass and in particular muscle mass should be prevented because muscle is an emergency store of amino acids that can be used during stresses, allowing an organism to maintain homeostasis. This loss can be limited by including a sufficient amount of protein in the energy-restricted diet [3]. Previously we compared the capacity of caseins (slowly digested milk proteins) with that of milk-soluble proteins (MSP; rapidly digested leucine-rich proteins) to maintain lean body mass in overweight, energy-restricted rats [4]. In the present study, we investigated whether the timing of the intake of these proteins could have an influence on the sparing of lean body mass. Indeed, in our previous experiment [4], rats consumed their daily ration within 2 to 3 h. We found that, although the regulations of liver and muscle protein metabolisms were not the same, the final nitrogen balance (and thus whole-body protein mass) was not different between groups. In that experiment, postabsorptive muscle protein synthesis rates were higher in the casein-fed group than in the MSP-fed groups [4]. Given the results obtained in test-meal studies in humans [5–7], we postulated that the muscle protein balance (i.e., protein synthesi

Metabolization of flavan-3-ols by human gut bacteria

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Metabolization of flavan-3-ol oligomers by human gut bacteria

International audienceFlavan-3-ols are a largely consumed subclass of flavonoids and are involved in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases [1]. The contribution of phenolic metabolites produced by the gut microbiota in the health effects of polyphenols (including flavan-3-ols) is currently an open field of investigation. Although a few bacterial species metabolize flavan-3-ol monomers [2] no bacterial isolates active on oligomers (called procyanidins) have been described. Knowing that the gut microbiota hydrolyzes procyanidins [3], our aim was to identify bacteria degrading flavan-3-ol oligomers and the degradation products. From human stools of three healthy individuals, culturomic approaches combined with screening for the metabolic activity of bacterial isolates by HPLC-DAD allowed us to obtain four strains of Eggerthella lenta and one strain of Flavonifractor plautii degrading (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin. The activity of these strains was then tested on B-type (DP2 to 4) and A-type (DP2) procyanidins and the metabolites generated were characterized by LC-ESI-MS / MS. These two species co-metabolized (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin into hydroxyphenylvaleric acid derivatives. Only E. lenta converted procyanidins while F. plautii alone or in co-culture with E. lenta did not show any activity towards procyanidins. The reaction catalyzed by E. lenta on dimers (B-type and A-type) corresponded to the opening of the C-ring of the terminal unit. This work is the first report of flavan-3-ol oligomers metabolization by the human gut bacterium E. lenta

Assuming accuracy, pretending influence? Risks of measuring, monitoring and reporting sustainable development goals

Abstract From the local to global level, indicators and reports are produced and published to support the transition towards sustainable development. Building from two European-level science–policy workshops, this perspective essay discusses the types of risks involved with such sustainability reporting. The analysis is rooted in the framework of the UN 2030 Agenda and sustainable development goals (SDG). As a globally adopted framework, it provides an example of how risks are either recognised and framed, or non-recognised. Well recognised risks include data availability for SDGs and siloed preparation of indicators, while risks receiving less attention are ritualistic reporting lacking a critical evaluation of the limitations of the SDG framework itself. These different risks are likely to reinforce each other. A specific risk is a too narrow focus on one-way communication aiming to inform individual policy decisions. Risks related to SDGs are best managed with iterative, integrative and interactive knowledge production fostering holistic understanding

Unraveling flavan-3-ol metabolization genes in the human gut bacterium Eggerthella lenta

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The molecular basis of the degradation of flavan-3-ols by the human gut bacterium Eggerthella lenta

International audienceFlavan-3-ols are among the most consumed polyphenols by humans and have been shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases. They are found in plant as monomers and mainly as oligomers such as procyanidins. The majority reaches the colon where the microbiota converts them into phenolic metabolites likely to participate in their health effects. While the metabolic pathways of the degradation of flavan-3-ols by the microbiota are relatively well described, only a few microorganisms and microbial genes involved in these pathways are known. We have previously shown that Eggerthella lenta metabolizes flavan-3-ol monomers and oligomers. Here, our aim was to identify E. lenta genes encoding enzymes degrading flavan-3-ols and to determine their prevalence in human gut metagenomes. By a transcriptomic approach (RNAseq) carried out with the type strain of E. lenta, coupled with the heterologous expression of the genes of interest in Escherichia coli, we have discovered two genes (fmber1, fmber2) encoding two benzyl ether reductases cleaving the C ring of the monomers and an operon of two genes (pber) catalyzing this reaction on the dimers of type-B procyanidins. Furthermore, two operons of three genes (cadh, ecadh) encoding enzyme complexes dehydroxylating the Bring of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin have also been identified. These genes constitute good markers of flavan-3-ol metabolization in the gut. Their prevalence in human gut metagenomes suggested that 27% of individuals cannot convert flavan-3-ols into potential bioactive metabolites. These results raise the question of whether individuals who do not harbor these bacterial genes are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease