Plastics and Health: Knowing the Basics

Plastics and Health: Knowing the Basics

Plastics have a toxic lifecycle. Plastic harms people and the environment from the moment petroleum is extracted for its production through disposal and even recycling. Every day, as more plastic is developed and reused more of it enters our bodies and the environment.

Most plastics are made from oil. The vast majority of plastics are made from petroleum that is ‘processed ’ into different types of plastic. Certain types of plastics like PVC are made from particularly toxic chemicals like cancer-causing vinyl chloride. Families living next to extraction facilities have disproportionate health impacts compared to the rest of the population, due to their increased exposure to harmful chemicals used in the extraction process.

Toxic additives are used in many plastics. After the base plastic is made, more chemicals are added to them to make them harder, softer, more flexible, etc. These chemicals create pollution during production and then leach out during the use and disposal of plastics. There are over 10,000 chemicals used in plastics and many of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, birth defects and hormonal alterations. Plastics that have been recycled often have even higher levels of toxic additives and contaminants than virgin material. Learn more about plastic additives and the harm they can cause here. 

Recycling isn’t a solution for the plastic crisis. Over 40% of all plastics are used only a single time and there is no good way to dispose of plastics.

• Landfilling plastics leads to overcrowded landfills, polluting soil and groundwater with the chemical additives added to the plastic. Those living near these facilities are exposed to more pollution than the rest of us.
• Only about 5% of plastics in the US are recycled and most plastics cannot be recycled.
• Additionally, recycled plastic material often requires virgin plastic and even more chemical additives to be usable.
• Recycled plastic often contains harmful additives left from the original material. A report from Toxic-Free Future details how black plastic often contains toxic flame retardants, likely due to electronics recycling. 

Plastic production is increasing.  As cars, homes and businesses are increasingly transitioning toward more renewable sources, the fossil fuel industry is shifting toward more plastic production. In fact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that left unchecked, plastic production is set to triple by 2060. According to the Center for International Environmental Law, if plastic production continues at its current growth rate, greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production could reach 1.34 gigatons per year—equivalent to the emissions released by more than 295 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants. 

Plastics contribute to climate change. The plastics industry releases about four times as many planet-warming chemicals as the airline industry, equivalent to 600 coal-fired power plants. As plastics break down, they form greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change.