Plastic Packaging is Killing Us

We did not have plastic packaging until after World War II. In the 1960s, candy bars were wrapped in waxed paper, soft drinks were in glass and metal containers, food came in glass jars and metal cans.Now most of these products are packaged in plastic. Even milk containers made of waxed paper now have plastic spouts instead of a folded waxed cardboard opening. In the 1970s, it was recognized that plastic doesn't break down but breaks up into smaller pieces called microplastics.

Plastic pollution has adverse impacts on ocean ecosystems, the integrity of food supplies, and people's livelihoods. It is now ubiquitous--in the air, soil, freshwater, and the sea. It is estimated that 33 billion pounds of plastic waste enter our oceans each year, and that number is only expected to increase.

Plastic Packaging Contributes 40% of Plastic Waste

According to a new article, "The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics" (Ellen MacArthur Foundation), approximately 40% of plastic waste comes from packaging materials. Single-use plastics, often used in packaging, are a major contributor to this percentage. Food and beverage packaging accounts for a significant portion of plastic pollution. Many packaging materials are not recyclable, exacerbating this pollution problem. In Europe, the Germans top the list of packaging waste producers with more than 450 pounds of packaging per capita.This is more than one pound of plastic waste per person per day. The Institute of Packaging Professionals defines overpackagingas "a condition where the methods and materials used to package an item exceed the requirements for adequate containment, protection, transport, and sale." Overpackaging is an opportunity for source reduction, reducing waste by proper package design and practice. The EPA used data from the American Chemistry Council to estimate that 14.7 million tons of plastic containers and packaging were created in 2015. According to the EPA, the overall amount of plastic packaging that is recycled is about 2.2 million tons is only 14.6 percent.

Harmful Chemicals in Plastic Packaging

Bisphenol (BPA), styrene and benzene, can be found in packaging waste. BPA can affect the hearts of women, permanently damage the DNA of mice, and appears to be entering the human body from a variety of unknown sources. Studies from Journal of American Heart Association shows that higher bisphenol A levels were significantly associated with heart disease, diabetes and abnormally high levels of certain liver enzymes.

Containers and Packaging : Product Specific Data. US EPA.

Toxins such as these are found within our food chains. When fish or plankton consume microplastics, it can also enter our food chain. Ritchie, Hannah; Roser (September 1, 2018)."Plastic Pollution," Our World in Data .Microplastics were also found in common table salt and in both tap and bottled water. Giacovelli, Claudia (2018). Single-use plastics, a roadmap for sustainability. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme.Microplastics are dangerous as the toxins can affect the human body's nervous, respiratory, and reproductive system.

Plastic is in Our Brains

The human brain may contain up to a spoon's worth of tiny plastic shards--not a spoonful, but the same weight (about seven grams) as a plastic spoon, according to new findings published in the journal Nature Medicine,February 3, 2025. Researchers detected these almost unbelievable levels of microplastics and nanoplastics in the brains of human cadavers, says study co-author Andrew West, a neuroscientist at Duke University. In fact, I didn't believe it until I saw all the data. Based on their analysis, the amount of microplastics in the human brain appears to be increasing over time: Concentrations rose by roughly 50 percent between 2016 and 2024. The researchers also found much higher levels of microplastics in brain tissue than in liver and kidney tissue. And microplastic concentrations were also higher in the brains of deceased patients who had been diagnosed with dementia compared to the brains of deceased individuals without dementia. The study found a correlation between high levels of microplastics in the brain and dementia. Microplastics and nanoplastics are miniscule plastic fragments that result from the breakdown of everyday objects like packaging, containers, clothing, tires and more. These small particles have spread all over the planet, from Mount Everest to deep in the Mariana Trench. In September, 2024, these miniature pollutants were also discovered in the human olfactory bulb, a type of brain tissue that sits above the nose in the forebrain.

Duke University researchers analyzed brain, kidney and liver tissue from patients who had died in 2016 and 2024. For broader context, they also studied brain tissue from patients who had died between 1997 and 2013. Some of the brains came from patients who had been diagnosed with dementia. The researchers found much higher levels of microplastics in the 2024 brain tissue, on average, than in the 2016 brain tissue, regardless of the patient's age, sex, race, ethnicity or cause of death. Their findings suggest microplastic levels in the brain have grown by roughly 50 percent over the last eight years.

A Call for Action

Plastic packaging is fairly easy to reduce. Plastic can easily be replaced by waxed paper, glass, cardboard, and other materials. Plastic packaging should be required to be biodegradable. For example, Trader Joe's and Kroger now use biodegradable plastic vegetable bags instead of standard plastic bags. Naturepedic, a large manufacturer of organic mattresses, recently eliminated plastic wrapping by packaging their mattresses in paper. Since most companies will not do this voluntarily, Congress and state legislatures must mandate plastic packaging controls.The War Against Plastic has model legislation that requires these changes.