Hey there,
Let’s cut to the chase: plastic packaging is everywhere. You grab a water bottle on your way to work, toss a takeout container in your bag, and wrap leftovers in that little plastic film your favorite café gives you without a second thought. But as a plastic packaging supplier (yes, I’m right in the thick of this messy, important industry), I hear the same question all the time: “What’s actually bad about all this plastic stuff?” Plastic Packaging
I get it. When I first started out in this line of work a few years back, I was just stoked to help local shops cut down on food waste by keeping their goods fresh longer. But over time, I’ve learned that plastic isn’t just “bad” — there are real, science-backed health risks tied to how it’s made, used, and broken down. I’m not here to bash my own industry (we’re here to adapt, not hide), but let’s talk straight about what we all need to know.
First off, let’s talk about the chemicals we make these plastics with. Most of the plastic packaging we produce today is made from fossil fuels — oil and natural gas — and those materials come loaded with additives. I didn’t realize this at first, but additives like phthalates, bisphenols (you’ve probably heard of BPA, right?), and PFAS (the “forever chemicals” that sound exactly as scary as they are) are added to plastics to make them flexible, shatterproof, or water-resistant. Here’s the thing: these chemicals don’t just stay stuck in the plastic. They leach out, especially when the plastic is exposed to heat, acids, or even just time.
Take BPA, for example. For years, it was in everything — water bottles, food containers, even the lining of canned goods. Now, a lot of us have swapped BPA for BPS or BPF, right? But guess what? Those “safer” bisphenol alternatives are still endocrine disruptors. Studies link them to messed-up hormone function — like interfering with how our thyroid works or messing with reproductive hormones. For kids, that’s even bigger: their bodies are still developing, so even low-level exposure over time might lead to issues with growth, behavior, or even fertility later on. I’ve had clients ask if we use BPA-free materials, and we do — but I always make sure to explain that “BPA-free” isn’t a free pass. Those alternatives aren’t entirely risk-free, and that’s a convo we need to have openly, not sweep under the rug.
Then there’s PFAS. We used to use these forever chemicals a lot in food packaging — like grease-resistant popcorn bags or fast-food wrappers. They’re called forever chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment, and they stick around in our bodies too. The CDC has found PFAS in the blood of most Americans, and research ties that to higher risks of kidney disease, thyroid issues, and even certain cancers. Here’s a recent eye-opener: a study from the Environmental Working Group found that people who regularly eat fast food from PFAS-coated packaging have way higher levels of these chemicals in their blood. Yikes. We stopped using PFAS in our packaging years ago, but that’s not the case for every supplier out there — so that’s a big one to watch.
Next up, how plastic breaks down. It doesn’t just disappear. When plastic packaging gets tossed, it either goes to a landfill, gets incinerated, or ends up in our oceans. Over time, it breaks into tiny microplastics — pieces smaller than a grain of sand. And those microplastics get everywhere: in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. A 2022 study found that the average person eats about a credit card’s worth of microplastics every week. Scary, right? But what does that mean for our health, long-term? We’re still learning, but early research links microplastics to inflammation, gut damage, and even the transfer of those same harmful chemicals we talked about earlier. Think of it like this: each microplastic is a little delivery truck for toxic stuff, dropping it straight into your body. We’re still figuring out all the long-term effects, but even so, “unknown” doesn’t mean “harmless.” It means we should be paying attention.
Wait, but let’s get real — I’m a supplier, so I know plastic packaging isn’t all bad. It’s kept food fresh longer, cut down on food waste (which is a whole other huge health and environmental issue), and made products easier to transport. The problem isn’t that plastic exists; it’s that we’ve been using it like it’s indestructible, and we haven’t caught up with how it impacts our bodies. A lot of the risk comes from overuse and poor disposal, not the packaging itself being inherently evil. Like, if you use a plastic yogurt container once, recycle it properly, and don’t heat it up in the microwave, that’s way different than leaving it in a hot car for a week, tossing it in a regular trash bin that ends up in a landfill, and buying 10 single-use plastic bottles a week.
Here’s what I’ve been pushing for in my own work, too. We’ve started switching to more recycled materials — like post-consumer plastic that’s already been used, so we’re not pulling new fossil fuels out of the ground. We’re also making our packaging thicker so it lasts longer, and partnering with clients to take back used packaging for proper recycling, instead of it ending up somewhere it doesn’t belong. But I’ll be honest: it’s not enough. We need better regulations, better recycling systems, and more transparency from suppliers like me about what’s actually in our packaging.
I know a lot of people want to just “ban plastic packaging” — but that’s not a solution for everyone. Small businesses rely on affordable packaging to keep their costs down, and banning it might put them out of business, which would hurt more people than it helps. The smarter move is to work together: suppliers making safer, less toxic packaging, businesses using less of it, consumers making intentional choices, and policymakers setting clear rules about what chemicals can and can’t be used.
Let’s circle back to the health risks, though, because that’s what you came here for. The key takeaways I’ve learned over the years are:
- Chemicals leach out of plastic, especially when it’s heated or old, and many are endocrine disruptors that mess with our hormones.
- Forever chemicals like PFAS are still hiding in some packaging, and they build up in our bodies over time.
- Microplastics are everywhere, and even if we don’t know all the long-term effects, we know they’re carrying toxins into our bodies.
- The risk is way higher for kids and people who are exposed more often — like fast food workers, people living near landfills, or anyone who buys a lot of single-use plastic packaging.
I’m not here to sell you something that’s perfect. Plastic packaging has flaws, and the health risks are real. But as someone who’s in the business, I’m committed to making changes for the better. If you’re a business owner tired of worrying about the safety of your packaging, or if you’re looking to switch to more sustainable, less toxic options, I’d love to chat. We can work together to find solutions that keep your products safe, your customers happy, and our bodies and planet a little healthier.
Don’t just take my word for it — do your own research, ask your supplier questions, and make intentional choices. We all have a role to play, and as plastic packaging suppliers, we have a responsibility to lead the way. Let’s stop hiding from the risks and start fixing them — together.
Plastic Fittings References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Fact Sheet.
Environmental Working Group. (2022). Fast Food Consumption and PFAS Exposure.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Bisphenol Substitutes in Food Contact Materials.
World Health Organization. (2022). Microplastics in Food and Human Health.
Deqing Fengcheng Plastic Products Co., Ltd.
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