Plastic Food Packaging Problems

By liz gyekye 21st december 2018 1st february 2019 0 3143.

Plastic food packaging problems.

But many of those seemingly safe containers may have hazardous chemicals lurking. The most common were polypropylene which is found in bottle caps and rope and polyethylene from drinking bottles and plastic bags. Current problems in food packaging in china. Food packaging for example is one of the biggest hurdles because consumer safety is paramount.

Plastics are in the human food chain as well. Solving the plastic packaging problem. According to statistics about 60 of china s food packaging materials there are security risks. From soda bottles to plastic wrapping for food to product packaging or even plastic products themselves our obsession with cheap disposable products has created a serious environmental crisis.

Use safer dishware made from materials like glass or stainless steel. Certain plastic products are specifically designed to be used once or for a short time to help promote health and sanitary conditions think bandages contacts personal hygiene. Often the sustainable options are limited. In the food market used in plastic bags plastic bottles plastic barrels of food packaging accounted for the majority.

2 1 safety of packaging materials. The problem is that most fiber food packaging provides good physical and uv light barriers but isn t a good enough barrier for liquids on its own and so requires plastic coatings or other additives like perfluorinated chemicals pfas which can render them unable to be recycled in the case of a plastic lining or might be detrimental to. Don t microwave food in plastic containers put food on a plate instead. Progressive food establishments have traded it and other hazardous packaging for safer plant based alternatives.

6 according to the us environmental protection agency epa food and food packaging materials make up almost half of all municipal solid waste. One study detected nine different types of plastics ingested by humans through food or dust. Styrene another chemical found in plastic and food packaging has been linked to nervous system dysfunction hearing loss cancer and more. Unfortunately most packaging is designed as single use and is typically thrown away rather than reused or recycled.

Avoid use of plastic containers with the number 3 or. The impacts of packaging on the environment. In 2014 out of the 258 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the us. And because plastic is both strong and lightweight it helps.