The Fifteenth International Symposium on Reactor Dosimetry was held 18-23 May 2014, in Aix en Provence, France. Organized by the European Working Group on Reactor Dosimetry (EWGRD) and jointly sponsored by ASTM Committee E10 on Nuclear Technology and Applications, it was hosted by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)/Cadarache Center. This symposium is held approximately every three years to provide a forum for the interchange of state-of-the-art techniques, databases and standardization of radiation metrology.  

Sara Gobbi joined European colleagues at the European Policy Centre (EPC) Policy Dialogue, "Toward toxic-free plastics and more sustainable recycling − Europe's pressing challenge," which was held in Brussels in February 2014. This Policy Dialogue explored how effective Europe was in recycling plastics; the extent of the threat posed by hazardous substances; and how the EU could support the development of a more sustainable model for recycling plastics. Tine Sundtoft, minister of climate and environment of Norway, introduced the debate, which was followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A session. Gobbi shared how stakeholders across the global recycling industry can benefit from a newly revised ASTM standard that provides valuable guidance to manage the end of life of plastic materials. ASTM D7611, Practice for Coding Plastic Manufactured Articles for Resin Identification, covers the Resin Identification Code (RIC) system for identifying the various types of plastic resin used in manufactured articles. This ASTM standard is particularly relevant right now, as the European Commission is preparing a review of their "waste policy" based on the results of last year's consultation on plastic waste. Read about ASTM's work in sustainable plastics recycling.