To highlight the harmful consequences of our reliance on plastics, a recent study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society calculated that the health impacts of hazardous chemicals in plastics cost the US healthcare system over $249 billion in 2018.
In short:
- The cost was calculated based on the health impacts of four common groups of chemicals, with flame retardants responsible for the majority of the costs.
- These four groups represent only a small fraction of the chemicals used in plastics, suggesting the true cost is much higher.
- The authors note that plastics can cause harm across the entire human lifespan, including during pregnancy.
Key quote:
“These health costs are currently paid for by society and by the individuals who suffer from the diseases, while the plastics manufacturers and businesses that use plastics for their products make handsome profits.”
- Jane Muncke, chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum, discussing the study with CNN
Why this matters:
Although thousands of plastic chemicals are known to have harmful health impacts, efforts to regulate their use (like the ongoing negotiations around the UN Global Plastics Treaty) are often bogged down by bureaucracy and conflicts of interest. Countries whose economies rely on fossil fuels have successfully kept human health out of the treaty’s focus so far. The authors of this study point to the enormous costs of these chemicals as evidence of the need for a Global Plastics Treaty that firmly reduces their use.
Related EHN coverage:
- “Plastic will overwhelm us:” Scientists say health should be the core of global plastic treaty
- Opinion: Pete Myers discusses the "Health Scientists' Global Plastic Treaty"
More resources:
Trasande, Leonardo et al. for Journal of the Endocrine Society vol. 8, 2. Jan. 11, 2024
- “Plastic will overwhelm us:” Scientists say health should be the core of global plastic treaty ›
- Massive new database on how plastic chemicals harm our health ›
