Food and cosmetics products from dozens of major retailers are packaged in potentially dangerous plastic, a new report has found.
More than 17 retailers are not taking steps to protect customers from chemicals in their packaging that can cause illnesses ranging from obesity to cancer, according to the report.2024 report cardFrom “Toxic Free Future”.
As The Hill reported, plastic packaging (films, wraps, and coatings on takeout containers) can leach toxic chemicals into food and homes.
These include “forever chemicals” such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS and PFOS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the toxic plastic made famous by the 2023 East Palestine Railway disaster. may be included.
The human body is “highly sensitive” to these chemicals and there is probably no safe level, a leading group of endocrinologists found earlier this year.
That's because these fossil fuel-derived compounds can mimic hormones (chemical messengers that work with the nervous system to manage nearly every system in the human body), leading to problems ranging from obesity and diabetes to breast and testicular cancer. This is because it may be a contributing factor to the problem.
Toxic-Free Future publishes an annual report that reviews companies on their commitment to using safer chemicals and being transparent about the risks of the products they currently sell.
We also look at efforts to ban certain dangerous chemicals such as PFAS and PVC, and if we're actually starting to replace them with new alternatives, how safe those alternatives really are .
of50 retailers surveyedIn a study by Toxic-Free Future, the nonprofit found that 80% failed to replace dangerous plastic compounds with safer ones.
There were standouts on both ends of the spectrum. However, the report found that only four retailers – Apple, Sephora, Target and Walmart – were replacing dangerous chemicals with safer ones.
These companies, along with B-grade Target and C-grade Lowe's and Amazon, are also investing in designing non-toxic alternatives to today's harmful and pervasive plastics.
Meanwhile, the environmental nonprofit group gave “F” ratings to retailers including grocers Publix and Trader Joe's, department stores Macy's and Nordstrom's, and fast-food giants McDonald's, Subway and Chipotle.
Hmm! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, also received failing grades. So did Inspire Brands, the parent company of Arby's, Dunkin', Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John's.
The report found that 15 out of 50 retailers have set a goal to eliminate PFAS and 10 have set a goal to eliminate PVC. The latter is a particular problem in hardware stores, which will eventually need to replace vinyl flooring sales with safer linoleum.
But many of the problems for retailers are that supply chains are so long and complex, and so completely impregnated with dangerous plastics, that retailers themselves have no control over what goes into their products and packaging. It all depends on the fact that you may not have a grasp on it.
“Most assessed retailers do not know the chemical content of the products they sell,” the report states.
Less than half of retailers require their suppliers to disclose the chemical content of their products to themselves or to consumers.
