Plastic Food Packaging Problems

Current problems in food packaging in china.

Plastic food packaging problems.

Food packaging for example is one of the biggest hurdles because consumer safety is paramount. 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. Plastics are in the human food chain as well. Don t microwave food in plastic containers put food on a plate instead.

But many of those seemingly safe containers may have hazardous chemicals lurking. In the food market used in plastic bags plastic bottles plastic barrels of food packaging accounted for the majority. In 2014 out of the 258 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the us. Styrene another chemical found in plastic and food packaging has been linked to nervous system dysfunction hearing loss cancer and more.

Yet perhaps the most fundamental problem trasande. Use safer dishware made from materials like glass or stainless steel. One study detected nine different types of plastics ingested by humans through food or dust. Another category plastic food packaging helps keep our food clean and safe and extends freshness.

The impacts of packaging on the environment. 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. 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. Solving the plastic packaging problem.

By liz gyekye 21st december 2018 1st february 2019 0 3143. Avoid use of plastic containers with the number 3 or. Unfortunately most packaging is designed as single use and is typically thrown away rather than reused or recycled. 6 according to the us environmental protection agency epa food and food packaging materials make up almost half of all municipal solid waste.

Often the sustainable options are limited. 2 1 safety of packaging materials. According to statistics about 60 of china s food packaging materials there are security risks. And because plastic is both strong and lightweight it helps.