Here’s Why Experts Recommend Ditching Your Black Plastic Cookware ASAP

The drive to steer clear of plastics has become more and more popular in recent years ― and for good reason. Pieces of these plastics, known as microplastics and nanoplastics, have been found in our bodies, like in the plaque in our arteries and in our blood. Research is ongoing, but studies show that microplastics can be linked to cancer and reproductive issues.

Now, a study published in Chemosphere, which was led by researchers at Toxic-Free Future and the Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment at Vrije Universiteit, gives even more reason to reconsider that plastic container or serving spoon.

Researchers tested 203 black plastic items that are available in the U.S., ranging from cooking utensils and food storage to personal care products and toys, for flame retardants. Eighty-five percent of the tested products contained flame retardants.

“It turns out that a lot of them did have elevated levels of flame retardants, and specifically brominated flame retardants, which are linked to a slew of health concerns,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, the CEO of the Center for Environmental Health.

Brominated flame retardants have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, reproductive issues, and developmental issues, she added.

What’s also worrying is that some of the flame retardants found in these products are banned in the U.S. For instance, sushi trays contained the highest levels of flame retardants, and specifically high amounts of decabromodiphenyl ether, which is a banned chemical.

So, how did these harmful, and often-banned, chemicals make their way into your plastic soup ladle or sushi takeout tray?

“They could have been made from recycled electronic waste and electrical equipment — so TVs, computers, appliances, things that, by definition, get treated with flame retardants to prevent fire in your home,” Charles-Guzman explained. And these electronics could have been treated with these flame retardants years before they were banned. For instance, decabromodiphenyl ether was only banned in 2021.

So, how worried do you need to be?