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Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

cen.acs.org

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Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#51

Post by numpad0 »

throwaway892238 wrote: post #15

You know, we really don't need this disposable culture. Everyone just expects to get a disposable container everywhere they go (in the West, anyway). But we don't need disposable everything. People can carry their own set of utensils, and even their own food packaging; it's not uncommon for people to bring their own tupperwares to restaurants (wrap it in a decorative cloth to be fancy). Restaurants could also give ou…

And there’s the Chesterton’s fence principle. There must be reasons why restaurants provide utensils and packaging. “Because consumerism we can just stop” is not enough.

> Summer rolls and spring rolls

Are served on a dish. May be picked up from a dish by clean hands, but may not be moved more than 5 ft away from a dish.

> Meat on a stick

Is on a stick, usually disposable. Which is barely a “packaging”, too, certainly a bamboo stick is not an edible packaging, not to mention metal skewers.

> Rice balls

Are always eaten from non-edible containers, e.g. Saran wraps, bamboo leaves. Nori is not a packaging. Use of disposable gloves while making is recommended too.

> Samosa

Is served on a dish.

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#52

Post by ChancyChance »

jacobsimon wrote: post #5

Dumb question but…why do humans keep using toxic chemicals for cooking and storing food? Surely we can find something edible.

One reason I've heard over and over to support teflon cookware:

"I don't want to use oil when frying eggs."

I know all the arguments that follow, I'm just sayin'.

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#53

Post by samwillis »

I believe one of the other issues with compostable packaging is when it ends up in landfill, rather than being composted. It breaks down significantly quicker than other packaging in an anaerobic environment resulting in a spike of methane emissions.

Obviously, many landfills now collect and use the methane, but many don't and it contributes to greenhouse emissions.

Like many innovations to go green, it's complicated and often hijacked by corporations to sell products.

Compostable packaging isn't the solution, reusable packaging is!

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#54

Post by ralusek »

jiggywiggy wrote: post #18
tectonic wrote: post #7

Just. Stop. Putting. Teflon. On. Everything. Figuring out what does and does not have PFAS on it to protect my family is exhausting and infuriating. I’ve emailed with manufacturers, sent stuff to labs; basically, no one seems to know how much materials like this are used on every day products.

It's not just teflon. It's most likely also going to be it's successors. Its going to deemed safe for a while till it's not. Most properties desired while at the same time being cheap and durable will leak and will not play nice and with our cells or hormone system. Especially because the goal of most of these chemical is to be cheaper the cheap. (Otherwise we would just use glass)

This is what I said to my wife. She got some new pans that called themselves green and healthy because they weren't teflon. They made our food taste like plastic chemicals. I said to her that the way this works is that teflon was proven to be bad, so they just move onto some other compound that hasn't yet proven to be bad. At a certain point I'd rather say better the devil we know, or stainless steel and cast iron.

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#55

Post by ChancyChance »

dbg31415 wrote: post #46

I use these, are these horrible? https://www.costco.com/snapware-pyrex-18-piece-glass-food-st... What should I use instead?

Those should be fine since they don't have teflon and teflon-related materials: they are non-BPA plastics with silicon seals. Just don't microwave plastic (There are a lot of "ifs" and "buts" around that, but it is better just to not microwave plastic and be safe.) Granted, you are still throwing away plastic once the snaps break. They also make similar types with bamboo lids and a silicone seal.

(Hopefully if I'm wrong someone will shout me down with the correct answer :)

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#56

Post by waboremo »

floren wrote: post #28
waboremo wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glass containers are fantastic and usually cheap enough. Whether it's spice jars or leftover food containers, it all works great. Make sure the lids are also either glass, wood, or stainless steel. The one "downside" is you do need adequate cushion if you're taking it on the go say for lunch or to a dinner gathering, but even a towel wrapped around suffice. If you want recommendations, the Ikea 365+ glass containers…

I got glass containers with plastic lids because I figure the lid rarely contacts the food, and I always take it off to microwave... although now that I'm thinking about it, I usually put that plastic splatter guard thing over the container in the microwave which probably isn't much better.

Used to do the same. Thankfully there are glass splatter guards out there, some of them with plastic handles on the outside. More expensive than you would hope though, I suppose because it's such a niche use, but it's not as if you're going to be buying many glass microwave covers in one's lifetime!

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#58

Post by dangwhy »

tectonic wrote: post #7

Just. Stop. Putting. Teflon. On. Everything. Figuring out what does and does not have PFAS on it to protect my family is exhausting and infuriating. I’ve emailed with manufacturers, sent stuff to labs; basically, no one seems to know how much materials like this are used on every day products.

can someone recommend a pan to make eggs in the morning without sticking or having to put tons of grease.

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#59

Post by noreiley »

> Packaging manufacturers typically don’t reveal what’s in their products

It seems crazy to me that they don't have to disclose this.

If it's in contact with the food, it will leak into the food and then in our system. We have food ingredients listed on stickers, why not packaging materials?

I can understand keeping secrets about the manufacturing process in the name of competitive capitalism, but at the end of the day the material ends up in our hands (and mouth), so we can always send it to a lab and get its composition.

We could skip this whole "let's do studies to analyze what we were eating daily for all this time" if the industry had to give us the list. If they don't know either, have them do the studies before releasing the product.

Re: Compostable fast-food packaging can emit volatile PFAS

#60

Post by blondie9x »

Pick your poison. Micro-plastics or PFAS. All consumption has a trade off. Some are worse than others. Micro-plastics are causing major endocrine system disruption in youth. Testosterone levels and estrogen levels are getting all our of whack and causing gender related diversification issues that will grow exponentially over time with micro-plastic consumption levels increasing.

I would pick PFAS.

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