As Canada phases out single-use plastics, more restaurants are opting to use "compostable" takeout containers. But a new study suggests these supposedly eco-friendly containers may pose hazards to our health and the environment.
In a study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters on Tuesday, researchers looked at 42 different types of food packaging samples and found the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals," in 55 per cent of the samples. Eco Friendly Plates And Bowls
A deeper dive into eight of these samples found that moulded paper bowls had the highest levels of PFAS. These containers are typically made out of paper, or other fibres like sugarcane, and are often advertised as "compostable" and more environmentally-friendly than plastic.
University of Toronto environmental sciences professor Miriam Diamond, who led the study, says manufacturers use PFAS for paper bowls to act as repellants for grease, oil and water.
"When you've put the hot, greasy and gloppy burrito in it, the bowl doesn't get soggy. So that's what (the PFAS) is doing. The single-use plastics don't need these because the plastics are water- and oil- and grease-resistant," she told CTVNews.ca.
However, these chemicals don't easily break down, given that they're made of a strong chemical bond between carbon and fluorine.
"These chemicals don't get bound up by soils and in the bottom of lakes and oceans. They stay in the water. That means they circulate around, and it also means that these chemicals get into our drinking water," Diamond said.
Studies have shown that exposure to these chemicals have been linked to several serious health concerns. PFAS exposure has been linked to increases in cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, weaker immune systems, reduced fertility and even cancer.
Last December, Canada's ban on the import and manufacture of single-use plastics took effect, prompting many restaurants to switch to paper-based takeout containers. A ban on the sale of single-use plastics is set to take effect this December, and Diamond worries PFAS-containing paper packaging will only become more common as the plastic phase-out continues.
PFAS have already been banned for food packaging in 11 U.S. states. In California, the ban also extends to textiles and cosmetics. In the European Union, legislators are also considering a proposal to ban on 10,000 different types of forever chemicals.
Some companies, such as McDonald's and Restaurant Brands International, parent company of Tim Horton's and Burger King, have announced that they plan on phasing out PFAS in the packaging by 2025.
"Half the products we tested didn't have PFAS. So that means that there certainly are alternatives on the market. You just don't know which one does or doesn't have it," she said.
But in Canada, Diamond worries about the slower pace of legislative action on PFAS compared to the U.S. and Europe. In 2021, the federal government announced it would begin researching and monitoring PFAS and reviewing policies in other jurisdictions to determine what regulation may be needed to address these substances. The government said it plans to publish a "state of PFAS report," scheduled to come out by this year.
"Canada is not going to be a leader here, but at least we could be quicker to come on board with what other jurisdictions are doing," Diamond said.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
The situation in the Gaza Strip is "heartbreaking," Canada's deputy prime minister said Wednesday, the day after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for urging Israel to stop "the killing of women and children, of babies" in the besieged Palestinian territory.
A heavily armed gang surrounded a hospital in Haiti on Wednesday, trapping women, children and newborns inside until police rescued them, according to the director of the medical center, who pleaded for help via social media.
One hundred police officers were deployed and two people were arrested after protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war surrounded a Vancouver restaurant Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was visiting Tuesday night.
All five of Matthew Perry's "Friends" co-stars are sharing more remembrances of the star in their first personal social media posts since the actor's death last month.
The federal government is running out of time to introduce and pass a key piece of legislation in the Liberal-NDP deal.
A Colorado judge on Wednesday heard closing arguments on whether former U.S. President Donald Trump is barred from the ballot by a provision of the U.S. Constitution that forbids those who "engaged in insurrection" from holding office.
Getting inside Justin Trudeau's head these days requires a vivid imagination. The prime minister's bizarre statement on the Middle East war this week reflects a distorted view that human-shielded resistance by Hamas terrorists can be overcome with "maximum restraint" by Israel's military.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was rebuked Tuesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a strongly worded statement calling for an end to violence in the Gaza Strip. Here is a look at how the prime minister's position has evolved as the conflict has unfolded:
In light of colder temperatures and recent debates over government-imposed pollution pricing, Canadians’ choices on how to stay warm and heat their homes have come to the forefront.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was rebuked Tuesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a strongly worded statement calling for an end to violence in the Gaza Strip. Here is a look at how the prime minister's position has evolved as the conflict has unfolded:
One hundred police officers were deployed and two people were arrested after protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war surrounded a Vancouver restaurant Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was visiting Tuesday night.
A driver has been arrested after four pedestrians were struck by a vehicle in a northeast Toronto parking lot on Wednesday afternoon, one of whom later died of their injuries.
Multiple players at a youth hockey tournament in Saskatchewan experienced serious symptoms due to an undetected carbon monoxide leak over the weekend.
In light of colder temperatures and recent debates over government-imposed pollution pricing, Canadians’ choices on how to stay warm and heat their homes have come to the forefront.
The Prime Minister's Office has quietly published mandate letters for two ministers who were given new portfolios in the Liberal government's summer cabinet shuffle, but it won't be updating its prescriptions for jobs that already existed.
The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday adopted its first resolution since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, calling for 'urgent and extended humanitarian pauses' in Gaza to address the escalating crisis for Palestinian civilians during Israel's aerial and ground attacks.
U.S. President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping plunged into their first face-to-face meeting in more than a year Wednesday pledging to work to stabilize fraught relations in talks with far-reaching implications for a world grappling with economic cross currents and wars in the Middle East and Europe.
A Colorado judge on Wednesday heard closing arguments on whether former U.S. President Donald Trump is barred from the ballot by a provision of the U.S. Constitution that forbids those who "engaged in insurrection" from holding office.
A police officer being investigated in the killing last summer of a 17-year-old of North African origin that touched off riots around France was freed from jail Wednesday while the investigation continues.
A Myanmar army battalion based near the Chinese border surrendered to an alliance of ethnic armed groups that launched a surprise offensive last month against the military, a spokesperson for one of the groups said Wednesday.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday denied a public order offence after she was arrested last month at a demonstration against a major oil and gas industry conference in London.
The situation in the Gaza Strip is 'heartbreaking,' Canada's deputy prime minister said Wednesday, the day after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for urging Israel to stop 'the killing of women and children, of babies' in the besieged Palestinian territory.
The federal government is running out of time to introduce and pass a key piece of legislation in the Liberal-NDP deal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was rebuked Tuesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a strongly worded statement calling for an end to violence in the Gaza Strip. Here is a look at how the prime minister's position has evolved as the conflict has unfolded:
A greater proportion of men get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week compared to women, a new Statistics Canada report has found.
Canadian health organizations are calling on health ministers to suspend nicotine pouches sales until protections can be put in place for youth.
A new report from Statistics Canada has found that more women died of COVID-19 than men did during the earliest months of the pandemic, with much older non-immigrants particularly affected.
NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara were conducting a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station on Nov. 1 when a bag of tools drifted away from them and into space. The bag is now in orbit around Earth, and you might be able to spot it with a pair of binoculars.
A Moscow court on Tuesday fined Google for failing to store personal data on its Russian users, the latest in a series of fines on the U.S. tech giant amid tensions between the Kremlin and the West over the fighting in Ukraine.
Nepal's government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on Monday, saying it was disrupting 'social harmony' in the country.
All five of Matthew Perry's "Friends" co-stars are sharing more remembrances of the star in their first personal social media posts since the actor's death last month.
Jimmy Kimmel is returning as host of the Academy Awards for the second straight year and fourth time overall, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.
Iconic music producer Quincy Jones and entertainers Jennifer Hudson and Chance the Rapper are now co-owners of the historic Ramova Theatre on Chicago's South Side.
New York state sued PepsiCo on Wednesday in an effort to hold the soda-and-snack food giant partly responsible for litter that winds up in bodies of water supplying the city of Buffalo with drinking water.
Lawyers for the founder of truckmaker Nikola Corp. say he should not face incarceration because his fraud conviction is nothing like the fraud that landed Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in prison.
More competition is needed in Canada's grocery sector as consumers grapple with higher food prices, said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, after two of the country's largest grocers reported higher sales and profits in the most recent quarter.
A new hotel in Indonesia is trying to nab the title of being the 'world's skinniest.' But its creator says the project isn’t just about trying to set a world record – it’s about getting international attention for the small town he calls home.
An expert scientific committee advising the British government recommended for the first time Tuesday that children should be immunized with the chickenpox vaccine -- decades after the shots were made widely available in other countries, including the U.S., Canada and Australia.
A generous donation of Taylor Swift concert tickets and kindness from a total stranger are bringing in thousands of dollars for a charity in St. John's, N.L.
Multiple players at a youth hockey tournament in Saskatchewan experienced serious symptoms due to an undetected carbon monoxide leak over the weekend.
Convicted sex offender Graham James and the St. James-Assiniboia School Division are facing a lawsuit over alleged sexual assaults that happened while James was a substitute teacher for the division in 1983.
AC Milan fullback Alessandro Florenzi became the latest Italian player placed under investigation by Turin prosecutors looking into footballers using illegal websites to bet on games, according to Italian media reports Wednesday.
Voting on a tentative contract agreement between General Motors and the United Auto Workers union that ended a six-week strike against the company appears too close to call after the latest tallies at several GM factories were announced Wednesday.
Production workers at Ford's Louisville assembly and Kentucky truck plants have voted against the tentative labour agreement, while skilled trades workers voted in favour, the local chapter of the United Auto Workers said on Monday.
Chrysler-parent Stellantis said Monday it is offering 6,400 U.S. salaried employees voluntary buyouts as it works to cut costs amid the transition to electric vehicles and agreeing to a new United Auto Workers contract.
Fast Food Container © 2023 All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy