All posts tagged: SingleUse

California’s single-use plastic law is angering all sides

California’s single-use plastic law is angering all sides

Published by Sam Flores

Within days of California’s long-anticipated single-use plastic law going into effect, environmentalists, anti-waste activists and the packaging industry reacted with anger and frustration. Anti-plastic activists say Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration and CalRecycle inserted exemptions favoring the plastic industry into the law’s regulations that weaken it and undermine legislative intent. “These new rules create huge loopholes for plastic packaging that violate the law,” said Avinash Kar, senior director of the toxics program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. On the other side, the packaging industry has sued over similar laws in other states. “Our members have real concerns about cost, compliance, and constitutionality,” said Matt Clarke, spokesman for the National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors, which sued Oregon earlier this year over a similar waste law. CalRecycle, the state’s waste agency, did not respond in time for publication. The final regulations putting the law into effect were released May 1 and posted for review Tuesday. The environmental organizations say the law’s new final regulations open the door to what is known as “chemical recycling,” which produces large amounts …

Inside AMEX’s agentic commerce stack: How intent contracts and single-use tokens enforce AI transactions

Inside AMEX’s agentic commerce stack: How intent contracts and single-use tokens enforce AI transactions

Published by skeptic

American Express (Amex) is building a system that lets AI agents shop and pay on behalf of users — but right now it’s only within its own payment network, and still involves a black box that could hinder trust and auditability. Amex already participates in agentic commerce protocol projects, especially Google’s Agent Pay Protocol (AP2), which focuses on interoperability. Amex’s Agentic Commerce Experiences (ACE) developer kit, on the other hand, touches on something most protocols currently lack: Full transaction control in the payment layer.  But it still isn’t completely transparent in how it handles validation. ACE uses a closed-loop system — serving as both the card issuer and the payment network — to validate agent-led transactions.  Luke Gebb, Amex’s EVP and global head of innovation, told VentureBeat that the company believes this model is the missing piece in agentic commerce.   “Some of what is missing so far is the perspective of a company like ours: We feel that trust and security are critical to advancing this space,” Gebb said. “This is really the first time …

Inside Europe’s Single-Use Plastics Directive

Inside Europe’s Single-Use Plastics Directive

Published by skeptic

Plastic has become so embedded in modern life that it often goes unnoticed. From takeaway coffee lids to food packaging and cigarette filters, many everyday items are designed to be used once and discarded within minutes. The environmental cost of that convenience is now impossible to ignore. In response, the European Union introduced the Single-Use Plastics Directive, a sweeping policy designed to curb plastic waste and accelerate the shift toward more sustainable alternatives. What are single-use plastics? Single-use plastics are products made wholly or partly from plastic that are intended to be used just once, or for a very short period, before being thrown away. Unlike durable plastics, which may last for years, these items are typically designed for convenience rather than longevity. Common examples include disposable cutlery, takeaway containers, plastic straws, cotton bud sticks, and drink bottles. Because they are lightweight and often used on the go, they are particularly prone to being littered. Once discarded, they can persist in the environment for decades or even centuries. Why single-use plastics are a problem The …