Omar Khalid
The safety of recycled plastic is a highly debated topic, with some arguing that it is a viable solution for reducing plastic waste and others claiming that it poses significant risks to human health and the environment. While the recycling process aims to transform used plastic into reusable material, concerns have been raised regarding the potential presence of toxic chemicals and microplastics in recycled plastic products. The debate centres around the question: What recycled plastic is safe? This complex issue involves evaluating the risks associated with chemical contaminants, the effectiveness of regulatory measures, and the search for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic.
Characteristics of safe recycled plastic
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Toxic chemicals | Recycled plastic may contain toxic chemicals, which can be released during reuse and accumulate during recycling. |
| Microbiological and chemical contaminants | Recycled plastic can contain microbiological and chemical contaminants from the original production, use, and recycling process. |
| Food contact | Recycled plastic in food packaging is increasing, but there are concerns about the safety of using recycled plastic for food contact due to the potential transfer of chemicals into food. |
| Surrogate testing | It is the "best available practice" for evaluating chemical migration from recycled plastics, but it is not required by the FDA. |
| Regulation | The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established a level at which most chemicals are not expected to harm human health if present in food. |
| Decontamination | During recycling, plastic must be decontaminated to reduce the contaminant level to the maximum tolerable safe level. |
| Alternative materials | Some companies are transitioning to safe and circular plastic alternatives, such as bio-based plastics, to address the issues with traditional plastic. |
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What You'll Learn
- Recycled plastic can be toxic and unsafe for food use
- Plastic recycling is unsustainable and inefficient
- Plastic recycling is incompatible with a circular economy
- The production of plastic involves toxic chemicals
- The safety of recycled plastic is ensured differently by the European Food Safety Authority
Recycled plastic can be toxic and unsafe for food use
Recycled plastic may not always be safe for food use. The main concern is the presence of residual chemicals in the recycled material, which can migrate into food. This is due to the permeable nature of plastics, which allows chemicals to leach into food. The secondary recycling process may not effectively remove all additives incorporated into the polymer matrix, resulting in potential non-compliance with food contact regulations.
To mitigate this issue, effective barriers can be used to separate recycled plastic from food. For example, a non-food-grade recycled plastic could be used in a multilayered food package, with an effective barrier like virgin plastic or aluminium foil preventing the migration of additives into the food. Additionally, sorting procedures can be implemented to ensure that only food-contact containers are reprocessed, reducing the risk of contamination.
Another factor to consider is the source of the recycled plastic. Recycled plastic that comes from multiple sources may have been contaminated with harmful substances, making it unsuitable for food contact. To ensure food safety, it is crucial to have control and oversight over the plastic materials being recycled. Proper quality specifications and inspection systems are essential to detect and reject containers that may contain hazardous substances.
While some plastics are considered safe for food use, such as HDPE, LDPE, PP, and PET, it is important to follow guidelines and use them appropriately. For example, certain plastics should be avoided for microwaving, as they may release toxins when heated. It is also important to check the recycling numbers on plastic containers, as some are only safe for single-use and should be avoided for long-term food storage.
Overall, while recycled plastic can be used for food packaging, it is essential to prioritise safety by implementing effective barriers, sorting procedures, and quality control measures to prevent the migration of harmful chemicals into food.
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Plastic recycling is unsustainable and inefficient
The economic viability of plastic recycling is also questionable. The process of collecting, sorting, and melting plastic for recycling is expensive, and the resulting recycled plastic is of lower quality and often more expensive than new plastic. This makes it less appealing to industries, with some preferring to use cheaper, virgin plastics. The oil and gas industry has been accused of promoting plastic recycling to sell more plastic, despite knowing it would not work on a large scale. This has led to a situation where recycling companies struggle to find buyers for recycled plastic, with much of it ending up in landfills or being incinerated, contributing to environmental pollution.
The toxicity of recycled plastic is another concern. Recycling plastic can increase its toxicity due to the presence of toxic chemicals that do not disappear during the recycling process. These chemicals pose health and environmental risks throughout the recycling stream, and the resulting recycled plastic may contain hazardous chemicals that threaten human health and the planet. The challenge of controlling feedstock and ensuring transparency across the value chain further complicates the issue, as it becomes difficult to guarantee the safety of recycled plastic for food contact materials.
While recycling can play a crucial role in reducing the demand for virgin raw materials and mitigating global warming, plastic recycling, in its current state, is unsustainable and inefficient. To address these issues, improvements in technology, economic incentives, and a reduction in plastic production are necessary to make plastic recycling a more viable and environmentally friendly solution.
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Plastic recycling is incompatible with a circular economy
Plastics are almost universally made from non-renewable feedstocks of fossil fuels, and even those made from bio-based or recycled feedstocks, incorporate additives made of non-renewable fossil feedstocks. Over time, all plastics shed or deteriorate into micro- and nanoplastics, leaching toxic chemicals into surrounding products and environments and often absorbing other pollutants. These toxic chemicals can have detrimental effects on human and animal health.
Recycling plastic can make it even more toxic. The process of breaking down plastics for recycling can scatter microplastic pollution into the environment. Additionally, recycled plastic is more likely to absorb chemical contaminants, making it unsafe for food contact materials. The production and consumption of plastics have increased globally, with less than 20% of plastics recycled worldwide, leading to a significant accumulation of plastic waste.
To achieve a circular economy, the focus should be on non-toxic redesign for reuse, rather than normalizing the production and recycling of toxic materials. Policies should prioritize the elimination of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and the implementation of reuse models to reduce the need for single-use plastic. A systemic approach is necessary to create a practical, economically viable, and pollution-free circular economy for plastics.
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The production of plastic involves toxic chemicals
Plastics are synthetic materials made from the energy-intensive conversion of feedstocks (raw materials) or certain chemicals primarily derived from fossil fuels, including oil, gas, and coal. During production, monomers (shorter units of molecules) are bonded or 'cracked' into polymers (long, strong chain molecules that form the basic building blocks of plastics). To give plastics specific properties, additives such as colorants, lubricants, plasticizers, and flame retardants are incorporated into the polymers during the manufacturing process. Other chemicals may also be present as non-intentionally added substances (impurities and manufacturing process leftovers).
Hundreds of substances are used in plastic products, including known or suspected carcinogens and chemicals impacting development, fertility, and toxicity. These chemicals can be released from plastic at any stage of its life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to the use and disposal of plastic products. The ingestion and/or inhalation of microplastics and the hazardous additives leaching out of plastic products can severely affect human health. Women and children are particularly susceptible to these toxic chemicals, with exposures potentially causing neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioural disorders, and impacting male fertility.
The recycling of plastic has been proposed as a solution to the plastic pollution crisis. However, research suggests that recycling can increase the toxicity of plastic. Surrogate testing is the "best available practice" for evaluating chemical migration from recycled plastics, although it is not a perfect solution as the FDA's approach does not account for endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Experts stress that the safety of recycled plastic depends on transparency and cooperation across the value chain.
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The safety of recycled plastic is ensured differently by the European Food Safety Authority
The safety of recycled plastic is a growing concern, particularly for its use in food packaging. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established several measures to ensure the safety of recycled plastic.
Firstly, EFSA has set a level at which the presence of chemicals in recycled plastic is not expected to pose a risk to human health. This level is used to calculate the maximum safe amount of chemicals that can be present in recycled plastic without causing harm. During the recycling process, the plastic must be decontaminated to reduce the contaminant level to within this safe threshold.
EFSA also assesses the safety of each recycling process and its suitability for producing food contact materials (FCMs). This includes evaluating the decontamination efficiency of the process and ensuring that the recycled plastic meets quality control standards. The EFSA provides guidance to support applicants in submitting information for their safety evaluations. The EFSA's assessments consider the intended use of the FCMs and any specific restrictions to ensure that they do not raise concerns for human health.
The EFSA's role is crucial in verifying that recycling processes are capable of producing safe plastics. The EFSA's assessments and authorisations are essential for the approval of recycling processes by the European Commission and EU Member States. The EFSA also provides scientific advice on the suitability of new recycling technologies, supporting the development of innovative processes that can recycle plastics that could not be recycled previously.
The EFSA's regulations and evaluations aim to ensure the safe and sustainable use of recycled plastics in the food sector, protecting both the environment and the health of citizens. These measures are particularly important given that around 50% of all plastic packaging in the EU is used for food products.
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Frequently asked questions
No, recycled plastic is not safe for food use. Recycled plastic can contain toxic chemicals that can be released during reuse and accumulate during recycling. These chemicals can then transfer from the packaging into food, exposing humans to toxins.
Toxic chemicals are present in the production of all plastics, and these chemicals do not disappear when plastics are recycled. Moreover, plastics absorb other chemicals during their use.
Sustainable plastic alternatives include biobased plastics such as Sulapac, which has a low carbon footprint and can be safely and efficiently recycled without leaving behind microplastics or toxic residues.
Apart from the presence of toxic chemicals, recycled plastic also poses issues in terms of food contact. A study found that recycled food contact plastics can be vectors for hazardous chemicals like endocrine disrupters and carcinogens.
As consumers, we can opt for biobased reusable containers with guaranteed chemical safety and choose goods packed in sustainable alternative materials instead of conventional plastic. We can also urge policymakers to take stronger measures to reduce the use of fossil-based plastics and pressure companies to adopt better alternatives.
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