Plastic is everywhere in modern life. Its purpose is practical – it’s durable, lightweight, and versatile across its millions of uses. But until recently, little has been studied about the impact of our constant, everyday exposure to the chemicals that make up plastic items, and experts are worried about potential long-term health effects that can result from our societal addiction to plastic.
Last month, a landmark study was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology that detailed the harmful chemical content found across a wide range of everyday plastic items. Surprisingly, the study also found that bioplastics, marketed as a sustainable, yet familiar alternative, may pose just as much – if not more – of a health risk as its petroleum-based counterpart.
