Plastic and food - From microplastics to packaging waste
Here’s what to expect in this article:
- Where is most plastic waste produced?
- How can I avoid plastic waste in everyday life?
- Why is plastic waste so harmful?
- Microplastics and the health risks they pose on your body!
What is plastic?
Plastics are substances that do not occur naturally in nature. They are artificially produced.
The most common source of raw material for plastics is petroleum.
Plastics have many useful properties, which make them attractive for industry:
- Moldability
- Elasticity
- Hardness
- Durability
- Very cheap to produce
Plastics are substances that do not occur naturally.
The era of plastic - plastic is everywhere
Whether in the supermarket, at home, in the car or on the street – we are surrounded by plastic. Often we don’t even notice how much plastic is actually in circulation. To name a few examples:
- Food: fruit or vegetables, bakery and confectionery products, meat and sausage products or dairy products – almost everything is packaged in plastic.
- Cosmetic products and our clothes: they are full of plastic. Many body scrubs, toothpastes and creams contain plastic pellets.
- Everyday objects: household items such as cutlery handles, bin liners, water bottles, smart phone cases or computer mice
The biggest causes of plastic waste are:
- Abrasion of vehicle tyres
- Artificial turf drifts
- Fishing nets (ghost nets)
- Packaging, shopping bags
- Single-use products
- Cigarette butts
- Cosmetics & washing products
Plastic food packaging
The food industry uses a huge amount of plastic.
As a result of globalisation, we can buy products from all over the world in the supermarket. Artificial help is needed to ensure that these products survive their long transport routes and remain fresh for days or weeks:
Plastic packaging and chemicals are used to make products last longer.
The food industry uses the food safety demands of consumers to justify the high plastic production.
Consumers demand germ-free, aestheticly pleasing and long-lasting food. Plastic is the cheapest solution.
Plastic packaging keeps food fresh for longer and protects it from germs.
Plastic hacks for everyday life - what you can do
Laws around plastics are helpful, but it is largely down to us as individuals to stop polluting the planet with plastic.
The three “R’s” help to minimise the use of plastics
- Reuse – The plastic bags and containers, etc. from our purchases can be reused several times.
- Reduce – Buy fewer plastic bags and items that are packed in plastic or contain plastic.
- Recycle – Ensure proper disposal of plastics so that minimal plastic is released into the environment. Use designated plastic recycling bins wherever possible.
To ensure that plastic gradually disappears from our everyday life, here are some small tips and tricks that make a big difference:
| Plastic | Alternative/ Tips & Tricks |
|---|---|
| Water bottles | It is safe to drink tap water in England. If you prefer to drink sparkling water, you can buy it in glass bottles or make your own using a water carbonator. |
| Packaging for fruit and vegetables | Nowadays almost every supermarket offers loose fruit and vegetables as well as reusable nets. |
| Food packaging | Packaging-free shops offer all kinds of food in unpackaged form, of which you can fill the desired quantity into containers you have brought yourself. |
| Plastic bags | Instead of picking up a new plastic bag with every purchase, you can use a canvas bag, which can be used again and again. Important: Paper bags are just as unsustainable as plastic bags! |
| To-Go cup | Almost all cafés will make your drink in your own thermo mug. Most of the time there is even a discount for this! |
| Dispatch packaging | If you order things on the Internet, they are often packed in three or four layers of plastic. If possible, go shopping in person. |
| Microplastic | Microplastics can be found in many different products, from cosmetics to food. There are various apps with barcode scanners that warn you about microplastics. |
| Tupperware | Auch wenn Tupperware schon ein Schritt in die richtige Tupperwares are a step in the right direction and are definitely better than disposable plastics (!), however ultimately they are still made of plastic. So if you want to get it 100% right, you should use glass or metal containers. |
| Disposable products | Shavers, plastic cutlery etc. – these are all everyday things that are thrown away after being used just once. If you invest a little more money in the beginning, there are many products that last longer and produce less plastic waste. |
(Tip: A lot of packaging waste is generated during our lunch breaks, for example, when you buy finished products from the supermarket. Want a healthier and environmentally friendlier alternative? Meal Prep is the solution! Find out everything you need to know here)
Health effects of plastic waste
According to a study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), we consume an average of 5g of microplastics per week along with our food. This is equivalent to the weight of a credit card. Of course, this figure is just an average, but it should certainly make us stop and think.
The main source of microplastic intake is through water. However, we also breathe in a lot of microplastics from the air, which get into our body via dust particles.
So far there are few long-term studies on the effect of microplastics on the human body. However, microplastics like to attach themselves to toxins, so when we ingest microplastics, it follows that toxins will enter our body more easily. Toxins in the body can cause great damage to the body’s systems, such as digestion.
(Tip: Find out here how digestion works and how microplastics can damage it)
“On average, we consume 5 grams of microplastics a week with food.”
– WWF Study
Plastics in the environment
Around 10 million tonnes of waste are released into the oceans every year. Almost 75% of this is plastic.
Is plastic biodegradable?
In contrast to “natural” substances, which degrade relatively quickly, the decomposition of plastic takes a very long time:
Plastic bottle = 450 years.
Plastic bag = 10-20 years
Cigarette butt = 1 to 5 years
Larger plastics are gradually broken down into microplastics in the sea by salt water, the sun, wave movements and abrasion.
Plastic islands in the sea
About 20% of the plastic in the sea gets there directly by boat. This includes fishing nets (accounting for 30-50%), waste that has been illegally disposed of or plastic that is blown into the sea from boats.
The remaining 80% reaches the sea from the land.
- Rivers (10 rivers worldwide account for 90% of plastic waste)
- Unsecured landfills (drifts etc.)
- Carelessness (plastic waste that has been thrown away)
- Cosmetic products and fabric from washing
There are currently around 140 million tonnes of plastic in the world’s seas and oceans.
By 2050, more plastic than fish could be swimming in the sea
Previous approaches
The industry is obliged to rethink. Although the plastics market is one of the world’s largest in terms of turnover, it is also the most damaging.
Possible solutions are:
- More sustainable packaging, which can be better recycled.
- According to large companies, the main reason for using plastics is food safety. New, more natural ways of storing food safely and hygenically must be implemented. Some producers already use compostable or reusable packaging.
(Tip: It is not only the packaging that is harmful to the environment, food waste is also a big problem! Click here to find out how you can avoid food waste).
Summary
It is hard to say who is to blame for the scale of the plastic crisis. Nowadays there is hardly any food in the supermarket that is not preserved, protected or made safer with the help of plastic.
On the other hand, the consumer also demands cheap food that is both consistently fresh and long-lasting. Plastic packaging meets these requirements.
It is therefore a question of supply and demand. Politics must not be excluded from the question of guilt here either. Industry can only ever act to the extent that laws and directives permit.
Plastic production and consumption have virtually exploded in recent years. The infrastructure of the waste or recycling system is not sufficient, which means that a large part of the plastic waste is illegally disposed of in rivers and seas.
It is clear, however, that for our own health and the sake of the environment, every household needs to greatly reduce its plastic consumption.
Frequently asked questions
Plastic packaging supports the durability of our food, most of which travels a long distance to arrive on supermarket shelves, and also guarantees the products’ sterility. Other properties of plastic – their moldability, their elasticity, their stability and the fact they are cheap to produce – make plastic attractive for industry.
It would be good to familiarise yourself with the motto “Reduce – Reuse – Recycle”. Try to avoid plastic products by shopping for groceries that don’t come in any packaging or use a tote bag or a knitted produce bag instead of a plastic shopping bag. Use these bags several times, and when you go to your favourite café, bring your own cup to avoid having your drink served in a to-go cup. Make sure you sort your recycling properly to support the waste disposal process.
There are currently more than 150 million tonnes of plastic waste in our seas and oceans, which is having fatal consequences for birds, fishes and other marine creatures.
Humans consume up to 5 grams of microplastic per week through their food, the air and water. As a result, toxins are entering our bodies.
Sources
- https://www.bmu-kids.de/wissen/boden-und-wasser/wasser/meeresumweltschutz/plastikmuell-im-meer/
- https://www.nabu.de/natur-und-landschaft/meere/muellkippe-meer/muellkippemeer.html
- https://www.faz.net/aktuell/generation-plastik/geschichte-der-plastiks-wann-wurde-kunststoff-entdeckt-15761089.html
- https://biooekonomie.de/studie-2017-plastikproduktion-und-verbrauch-weltweit
