Health risks of reusing single-use plastics

Reusing single-use plastics, such as polystyrene (PS) spoons or PET water bottles, can pose health risks due to chemical leaching, especially when exposed to heat.

Research from Kingston University indicates that styrene, a component of PS, can leach into food more readily when the food is hot or high in fat. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified styrene as a Group 2A carcinogen, meaning it is probably carcinogenic to humans.

Similarly, PET plastic bottles can release antimony, a metal used as a catalyst during production. Studies from Arizona State University show that while it may take 176 days for antimony levels in PET bottles to exceed US drinking water standards at 60 degrees Celsius, this threshold can be reached in just over one day at 80 degrees Celsius. Using these plastics with hot liquids or rinsing them with boiling water significantly increases the risk of chemical migration.