Per the Institute for Functional Medicine, over 10,000 chemicals are added to food and plastic food packaging materials in the U.S.  Many of these chemical additives are known carcinogens and have been found to result in adverse health effects that may occur as a result of a disruption of hormonal signals.

The good news is that you can make choices to reduce exposure to these chemical additives, including:

  • Read the label: Look for brands that say, “PVC free”
  • When in doubt, recycle it: Discoloration, cracks, or other signs of wear suggest that the plastic is degrading and may be releasing chemical additives into the food.
  • Wash plastic by hand: It only takes 20 washings in the dishwasher for BPA to start leaching considerably. Wash even “dishwasher safe” plastics by hand in warm water and mild detergent.
  • Don’t microwave plastic: Heating plastic only accelerates the leaching of chemical additives into the food. Instead, transfer the food to glass or ceramic containers before heating in the microwave oven.
  • Buy in bulk: Health food stores sell most items in bulk. The plastic used to bag bulk food products isn’t known to be toxic; transfer to glass containers at home.

At PolyKinetix, we care about human health and the environment. Our polystyrene foam recycling and chemical recycling technology offer alternatives to open dumping and burning of plastic and rubber waste, mitigating harm to human health and the environment.

Helping others make better choices about the use of plastics contributes to improved knowledge and further mitigation of harm to human health.