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Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

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Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#41

Post by 3rd3 »

morsch wrote: post #13
NoZebra120vClip wrote: post #6

Oh, yeah, that's no secret. Anything that touches food is lined to within an inch of its life with plastic. There's no escaping that. Every soda can you drink, most of your reusable water bottles, all that supposedly eco-friendly packaging is loaded with plastic. And they can BPA-free you all they want, but they just keep shifting to newer, less tested substances that don't have a bad reputation yet.

There's glass . Has been around for 3000+ years.

In this study recycled glass bottles were not better when it comes to microplastics. It's everywhere. In lids, detergents etc. In fact, single-use plastic bottles did best!

http://igui-ecologia.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/202...

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#42

Post by reaperman »

chaxor wrote: post #21
NoZebra120vClip wrote: post #6

Oh, yeah, that's no secret. Anything that touches food is lined to within an inch of its life with plastic. There's no escaping that. Every soda can you drink, most of your reusable water bottles, all that supposedly eco-friendly packaging is loaded with plastic. And they can BPA-free you all they want, but they just keep shifting to newer, less tested substances that don't have a bad reputation yet.

Polyethylene doesn't seem that new or untested, and it's unlikely for it to contain rings, so it doesn't seem so bad. Perhaps the catalyst used that can't be pulled out after. Last time I checked I think it was a homogeneous chromium based catalyst that is used for PE, but it ends up being a very small amount left over.

PE can still contain aromatic plasticizers, especially when there's a need for them to be more flexible.

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#43

Post by devoutsalsa »

omnicognate wrote: post #28
veave wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glass sucks. That's why we stopped using it. It's expensive, it's brittle, it's heavy, it takes up a lot of space.

Glass is awesome. It's reusable many times over and recyclable after that. We used to have systems to allow that reuse (bottle return) before somehow we ended up throwing away a plastic bottle (recycled at best) every time we buy a pint of milk. And contrary to sibling comment, glass containers don't leach heavy metals (or anything else) into food.

To "recycle" glass, all you have to do is wash it.

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#44

Post by adrian_b »

chaxor wrote: post #21
NoZebra120vClip wrote: post #6

Oh, yeah, that's no secret. Anything that touches food is lined to within an inch of its life with plastic. There's no escaping that. Every soda can you drink, most of your reusable water bottles, all that supposedly eco-friendly packaging is loaded with plastic. And they can BPA-free you all they want, but they just keep shifting to newer, less tested substances that don't have a bad reputation yet.

Polyethylene doesn't seem that new or untested, and it's unlikely for it to contain rings, so it doesn't seem so bad. Perhaps the catalyst used that can't be pulled out after. Last time I checked I think it was a homogeneous chromium based catalyst that is used for PE, but it ends up being a very small amount left over.

Pure polyethylene and polypropylene are completely inert and safe in contact with food (if they are not heated).

The problem is that it is currently impossible to know whether the PE or PP used in some plastic vessel is pure or it contains significant quantities of various fillers that have been added for reducing the cost of the material or the cost of various processing steps through which it has passed.

The PE or PP vessels that are translucent and not colored are more likely to contain less undesirable fillers than the vessels that are opaque and/or colored.

What is needed is to have stricter laws about food-contact materials, where the manufacturer must disclose the exact chemical composition of such materials and they must not be able to claim that this is proprietary information that may be kept secret, like today.

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#45

Post by domh »

arp242 wrote: post #39
Ekaros wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't use drugs. But my understanding is that plastic bottles aren't exactly uncommon even for spirits. And then with wines you get the boxed stuff. A carboard box, with plastic/foil bag inside.

I've only seen plastic bottles for very small bottles: the type you get in a mini-bar or airplane. If you go to a supermarket or off-license you typically won't find non-glass bottles for regular-sized wine or spirits.

Or strangely enough in the US cheap spirits often come in very large plastic bottles... think Costco brand tequila and vodka in 1.5l containers.

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#46

Post by Helmut10001 »

another-dave wrote: post #40

The title of the actual academic paper linked in the press release is "Single-use take-away cups of paper are as toxic to aquatic midge larvae as plastic cups", which seems more focused. It's a real shame when universities themselves participant in the tabloidification of how their research is presented. Would much prefer to see them promoting scientific literacy rather than trying to be as 'attention grabbing' as po…

As long as we have separate "Communication and Marketing" departments at universities, this won't change because the people who work there are equally decoupled from research as are journalists. I really had to fight our Communication and Marketing office to _not_ modify the message of a research in order to make it more "appealing" to the wider public.

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#47

Post by throwbadubadu »

veave wrote: post #37
glimshe wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glass is amazing. You haven't tasted a beverage until you had it in a glass cup or bottle.

Neither glass nor plastic add or detract from the flavour of a beverage.

What? Definitely happens, latest when one of the cheaper thinner bottle types have been sitting a bit too long in the hot the plastic taste becomes intense.

And even if below noticing levels I think plastic molecules have been detected in such beverages, but uncertain here.

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#48

Post by BillTheDuck »

hexfish wrote: post #9
yladiz wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You never know what could be in that ceramic, though. I recommend to just use your hands and let your date drink from them.

Drink from my flesh chalice sister.

The pellet with the poison’s in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true!

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#49

Post by arp242 »

veave wrote: post #37
glimshe wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glass is amazing. You haven't tasted a beverage until you had it in a glass cup or bottle.

Neither glass nor plastic add or detract from the flavour of a beverage.

It does influence the flavour as coloured glass prevents the loss of flavour due to light radiation.

Re: Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups

#50

Post by stdbrouw »

arp242 wrote: post #27
veave wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glass sucks. That's why we stopped using it. It's expensive, it's brittle, it's heavy, it takes up a lot of space.

> That's why we stopped using it. Except we didn't; wine and spirits come almost exclusively in glass bottles, beer is frequently in glass (although cans are also used), almost every store will have some sodas and bottled water in glass, most people at home and restaurants use glasses made from, well, glass, etc.

Glass is a little bit better at keeping oxygen out than plastic, dark glass keeps UV rays at bay, and thick glass bottles can better withstand the pressure of a second fermentation in the bottle, as with champagne and abbey beers. It also looks nice. These are advantages for beer and wine, but mostly irrelevant for soda, water and juices.
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