Made from really bad recycled plastic
Toxic Free Future
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| Highest levels of toxic flame retardants found in a spatula, sushi tray, and beaded necklace—likely the result of dirty plastic recycling |
A new peer-reviewed study in Chemosphere finds,
for the first-time, certain toxic chemicals in black plastic food-contact items
sold in the United States. Led by scientists from Toxic-Free Future and Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam, the testing uncovered high levels of
cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting flame retardant chemicals in a variety of
household products made with black plastics including food serviceware, kitchen
utensils, and toys.
“Companies continue to use toxic flame retardants in plastic
electronics, and that’s resulting in unexpected and unnecessary toxic
exposures,” explains Megan Liu, study co-author and science and policy
manager at Toxic-Free Future. “These cancer-causing chemicals
shouldn’t be used to begin with, but with recycling, they are entering our
environment and our homes in more ways than one. The high levels we found are
concerning.”
The study highlights the consequences of the lack of
restrictions on toxic chemicals used in plastics in electronics such as
televisions. Recycling of these plastics—typically containing high
concentrations of toxic flame retardants—can lead to reuse in household items
that do not require flame retardancy. When those household items are
high-impact items like toys and kitchen utensils, the result is potentially
high and unnecessary dangerous exposures, especially for vulnerable populations
such as children and women of childbearing age.
Health concerns related to flame retardants include carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity, according to the study.
“These results clearly demonstrate that flame
retardant-containing electronics, such as the outer casings of large TVs, are
being recycled into food storage containers and utensils,” said Heather
Stapleton, the Ronie-Richele Garcia-Johnson Distinguished Professor at Duke
University. “While it’s critical to develop sustainable approaches
when addressing our plastic waste stream, we should exert some caution and
ensure we’re not contributing to additional exposures to these hazardous
chemicals in recycled materials.”
The study found the highest levels of toxic flame retardants
in a sushi tray, spatula, and a beaded necklace. Toxic flame retardant
chemicals were found in 85% of analyzed products, with total concentrations
ranging up to 22,800 ppm of chemicals including the banned substance deca-BDE
and its replacements, such as 2,4,6-tribromophenol, which was also recently detected in breast milk. The
banned substance deca-BDE was found at levels ranging from 5 to 1,200 times
greater than the European Union’s limit of 10 ppm.
The study also found that plastic typically used in
electronics (styrene-based) contained significantly higher levels of toxic
flame retardants than plastics less typically used for electronics
(polypropylene and nylon). This supported the researcher’s hypothesis that the
chemicals are present due to recycling of e-waste into household items.
In November 2024, the U.S. will enter negotiations in Busan,
Korea on the Global Plastics Treaty, presenting an important opportunity to
advocate for ambitious goals, including annual reductions in plastic production
and a ban on hazardous chemicals in plastics, aligning with other high-ambition
countries. Toxic-Free Future urges the U.S. and states to ban harmful chemicals
in plastics and the most toxic plastics such as PVC and polystyrene through the
Global Plastics Treaty and state policy. Following the release of this
study, Toxic-Free Future launched a petition to
the U.S. government to pass a strong Global Plastics Treaty.
“The Biden administration must support a treaty that will end the use of the most harmful plastics and their toxic additives, even in recycled plastics,” added Megan Liu, study co-author and science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future.
“The solutions are clear. The
health of women and children must be prioritized over the chemical industry
profits. We need less poison plastic, more safer chemicals and materials, and
an end to plastic ingredient secrecy. As world leaders convene in South Korea
this November, they have an opportunity to put women’s reproductive health and
cancer prevention first by turning off the tap on toxic plastics.”
States have begun to address the use of certain classes of
flame retardants. Washington state has the strongest ban in the nation set to
take effect January 2025 restricting all organohalogen flame retardants in
plastic enclosures for all indoor electronics. New York also has a ban (effective
December 2024) on organohalogen flame retardants in plastic
enclosures for electronic displays (e.g. televisions and computers).
Earlier research by Toxic-Free Future found that most
televisions contained toxic flame retardants. In studies published in 2017 and 2019, Toxic-Free Future found that
most companies had replaced the flame retardants polybrominated diphenyl
ethers (PBDEs) with members of the same class—organohalogen flame
retardants. Studies have shown that
chemicals can escape out of products into dust and air inside our homes, travel
through wastewater, and pollute homes, waters, the food supply, and even us.
Retailers and brands are increasingly adopting safer
chemicals policies to eliminate hazardous chemicals in key product sectors,
according to Toxic-Free Future’s Retailer
Report Card. Many leading retailers have already adopted voluntary
commitments to reduce and eliminate dangerous chemicals like organohalogen
flame retardants. In 2022, Best Buy announced display enclosures and stands of
all newly designed models of Best Buy’s Exclusive Brand televisions will no longer contain toxic
organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs). Instead, they will use a safer flame
retardant identified by Best Buy after assessing potential substitutes for
hazard. Other leading consumer electronic brands such as Samsung, LG
Electronics, and SONY have also taken action to reduce the use of OFRs in the
enclosures of televisions they sell.
“Major retailers must ensure the products they sell, from
children’s toys to kitchen spatulas, are not introducing banned cancer-causing
chemicals into our homes,” said Mike Schade, Toxic-Free Future’s
director of Mind the Store. “As businesses introduce more and more
recycled materials into everyday products, retailers must require suppliers to
test them to ensure toxic chemicals aren’t hiding in these recycled plastics.
Retailers must mind the store and prohibit these toxic chemicals in products,
especially in recycled plastics.”
Toxic-Free Future is a national leader in environmental health research and advocacy. Through the power of science, education, and activism, Toxic-Free Future drives strong laws and corporate responsibility that protects the health of all people and the planet.