Plastic Free July aims to raise awareness about runaway pollution and solutions, but UK citizens are increasingly concerned about what the waste stream also means for their bodies.
Overall, 62% of respondents to a recent survey said they were concerned about the potential impact of plastic on their health. This number rose to 67% when looking specifically at food packaging.
The results follow successive reports about the presence of microplastics in the human body, including blood, tissue and vital organs. Left untouched in the environment, plastics can slowly break down into microscopic fragments, entering the food and water supply, which are then absorbed into living organisms.
There is also growing evidence that plastic food packaging can contribute to our consumption of foreign materials. The food industry’s reliance on packaging containing so-called ‘forever chemicals’ — a name applied to PFAS substances that take centuries to break down — is also a big worry. More and more people asking what these compounds are doing to their bodies if and when they are consumed.
Almost half of Britons don’t know that takeaway containers such as burger and chip cartons, have plastic lining. In contrast, eight-in-10 survey participants said the UK Government should be doing more to reduce the amount of plastic in food packaging.
‘Plastic Free July is a moment when many of us try to cut plastic out of our daily lives. This research shows just how hard this can be when so much of it is hidden in the packaging we use every day,’ said Alexandra French, CEO of materials innovator Xampla, which produces the plastic free packaging alternative Morro.
‘People are understandably concerned about what this means for their health, yet too often we have no way of knowing it is even there,’ they continued. ‘The opportunity now for policymakers and industry is to take advantage of emerging plastic-free solutions, making it even easier for the public to make informed choices.‘
Image: Oliur / Unsplash
More on plastic food packaging:
UK made natural polymer food containers set for more EU customers
Minister for Science supports ‘biodegradable net zero transition’
Public believes plastic will soon be history as single-use ban begins