What Science Says About Plastic Food Containers
Takeout Packaging: The Hidden Dangers of Plastic Containers
Plastic Food Containers: A Major Source of Microplastics
- Plastic (Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene TerePhthalate (PET)) Containers
- Clear plastic soup bowl deli containers and black bottom / clear lid boxes
- Paper cups and bowls with plastic linings
One steaming 16-oz serving in a polypropylene or similar plastic bowl can shed ~2 trillion nanoplastic fragments on top of ~8 million microplastic pieces.
Impact at Scale:
Switching 1,000 monthly soup orders to a truly inert, plastic-free container would keep roughly 2½ quadrillion nanoplastics and 8 billion microplastics out of customers' food each month.
Chemical Leaching from Plastic Containers
Chemicals leach out of plastics or plastic-lined bowls especially when they're heated or when they're in contact with acidic, fatty, salty foods
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Toxicology Letters, 2007Source:
Chemosphere, 2014Every week without even realizing it we are consuming the equivalent of an entire credit card in plastic
Cancer Risks from Plastics
Microplastics Accumulate in Human Organs
We are unknowingly ingesting millions and they're accumulating in our organs: lungs, liver, kidney, heart, blood, brain, reproductive organs—and then releasing toxic chemicals there
- •Mitochondrial damage
- •Increased oxidative stress
- •Causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Livers with cirrhosis contain significantly higher levels of microplastics
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Science of the Total Environment, 2021Microplastics in the Brain and Reproductive System
Microplastics trigger chronic brain inflammation which contributes to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and possibly autism.
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Particle and Fiber Toxicology, 2021Human brain samples were found to be on average 0.5% plastic by weight
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Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2024
Microplastic found inside and outside of placenta and amniotic membranes
- • Crossing the barrier to unborn children
- • Affecting them during critical periods of growth
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Environmental Science and Technology, 2023Microplastics in Blood and Heart
Microplastics circulate in our blood, land in organs, accumulate, and deposit toxins.
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Environment International, 2022BPA disrupts electronic signaling in the heart triggering abnormal activity and Phthalates weaken heart's ability to contract
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HHS Public Access, 2023Microplastics found embedded in 58% of people's arterial plaque
- • Depositing toxins
- • Making patients 5x more likely to have a heart attack or stroke within 3 years
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New England Journal of Medicine, 2024High BPA levels lead to 76% increased chance of death by stroke or heart attack
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Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2022Toxic Chemicals in Plastics
Plastics are often infused with BPA, phthalates to enhance durability and flexibility. Recycled plastics often have PFAS, flame retardants, and heavy metals.
- •Disrupts endocrine system
- •Affects reproductive health to brain function
- •Increases blood pressure
- •76% increased chance of death by stroke or heart attack
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Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2022- •Endocrine system disruption
- •Reproductive issues
- •Developmental problems in children
- •Decreased testosterone
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University of Michigan School of Public Health, 2014- •For soak resistance
- •Resist breaking down and accumulate in body
- •Cause immune system suppression, thyroid dysfunction, cancer
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Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2018Release of PFAS inside the body damages hormones, metabolism, causes reproductive problems and neurodevelopmental diseases.
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020It does not seem like microplastics have a way out once they make their way into our organs
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Environmental Science and Technology, 2023The Danger in PLA and “Bioplastics”
Often perceived as a safe alternative, Polylactic Acid (PLA) bioplastics present their own set of hidden dangers, from chemical leaching to microplastic shedding, impacting both food safety and human health.
Heat, Fat, & Acidity:
These conditions cause lactic-acid oligomers and other non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) to migrate from PLA into food.
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Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2019Hot Liquids:
Single-use paper cups with PLA linings shed high levels of microplastics when in contact with hot water, leading to direct ingestion.
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Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023Chemical Toxicity:
Bioplastics, including PLA, are not chemically “cleaner.” Their extracts frequently show in-vitro toxicity and endocrine activity comparable to conventional plastics.
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Environment International, 2020Gut Barrier Stress:
PLA nanoparticles from everyday items like teabags can reach and stress gut-barrier cells, slightly disrupting their protective properties.
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Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2023Revolutionizing Microplastic Detection:
O-PTIR Microscopy
For years, identifying microplastics smaller than one micron was a significant challenge due to the limitations of traditional infrared spectroscopy. The breakthrough of Optical-Photothermal Infrared Microscopy (O-PTIR) in the late 2010s finally enabled researchers to peer into this invisible realm, transforming how we detect these pervasive particles.
A Timeline of Detection Advances
Before O-PTIR, we could count or stain the tiniest particles but rarely identify them chemically.
With O-PTIR and its inspired methods, we can now see, map, and fingerprint plastics from the sub-micron scale down to the true nanoplastic range, opening vital research into their movement through ecosystems and living tissues.