Photo: Petras Gagilas

Plastic clingfilm is hazardous to your food and to the environment!

Many of us have become dependent on the convenience of using a film of thin plastic to cover our leftovers or to wrap our sandwiches in - known as Saran wrap, plastic clingfilm, or plastic wraps - this thin sheet of plastic is yet another product that was designed without considering the consequences it would have on our health as well as on the environment.
Source: istockphoto.com
What is cling film made of?
Cling film is created from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), two very long polymers with tightly bound and coiled chain of molecules. PVC contain phthalates, the chemical that keeps the plastic soft. The tight molecular bond and spring-like quality of the chains are why plastic wrap made from these polymers stick well and blocks moisture and odour. Cling films are made by melting nurdles (raw materials of plastic, tinyplastic pellets) and mixing it with additives.
To know more about PVC, click here
To know more about Low Density Polyethylene, click here
Source:IndiaMart
History of cling film
The Dow Chemical Company (known for its role with Union Carbide in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy) discovered Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) in 1933 and made it into a dark green film, naming it Saran Wrap. It was the first cling film wrap made for commercial use. It was cleared for use as a base polymer for food packaging by the Society of the Plastics Industry in 1956. Since then, cling film has found numerous uses in our kitchen particularly in food packaging.
Cling film in food packaging
The main use of cling film is to pack food items including vegetables and fruits in containers and bowls assuming to keep them fresh over longer periods of time. Since decades, people have been using it unaware of the fact that keeping food items in contact with plastic is harmful for our health. Cling film was first used for packing military equipment and later it was used for packaging food items. Saran wrap clings to  bowls, pots, glasses and hence is widely used for packing food.
Source:IndiaMart.com
What are its health consequences?
The Daily Mail reports two major studies in 2015 linking 175 compounds in plastic found in cling film to a risk of cancer and fertility and foetal problems. The most toxic of all those chemicals is Bisphenol A (BPA), which is widely used in plastics manufacture. It mimics the effects of the female sex hormone oestrogen and has been linked to breast and prostrate cancer and early sexual female development. Phthalates in cling film like DEHP, BBP, BPA and DBP are endocrine disruptors and mess up with hormones, resulting in early puberty in girls and reduced sperm count in boys.

A study from the University School of Medicine, Maryland reports that taking food wrapped in cling film could result in increasing blood pressure and impact cardiovascular health due to the presence of phthalate chemicals in the plastic film. Phthalates damage the walls of arteries by oxidative stress and may directly damage heart cells. A report published by WHO expressed concern over the exposure in young children of phthalates and other environmental chemicals that seem to interfere with human hormones. Phthalates have also been linked to allergies and asthma. 

Cancer Research,London,UK warns that cling film not be allowed to come in contact with the food while using a microwave oven to heat foods. Researchers at John Hopkins University, New York has found out in their studies that heating food covered with cling film can melt the plastic onto the food. People could be breathing in plastic microparticles suspended in the air, with the risk of a noxious effect on the lungs which is similar to car fumes.

The toxic chemicals released from the plastic in the sea ultimately enter the food chain and the concentration gets biomagnified as it moves up the food chain. This means that the concentration of microplastics gets magnified as it is consumed by the fish mistaking it for food, and ultimately when the fish is consumed by humans, the concentration is further biomagnified.
To know more about phthalates and its impact on human health, click here
Source:www.triplepundit.com
What are its environmental consequences and effect to marine life?
Cling film is a single use plastic. It is an environmental hazard as it not biodegradable and non recyclable. The plastic photodegrades under UV light, ultimately breaking down into more and more minute particles of plastic over time. It finally leaches into groundwater aquifers, thus contaminating it.
            The nurdles of plastic because of its small size and transportation leads to its spillage in the sea, thus proving to be a grave danger to aquatic life. Aquatic organisms mistake it for food and consume it which can be fatal to their existence. It is reported that 8 million tones of plastic find its way to the sea every year. Researchers at Plymouth marine laboratory captured a film under microscope showing zooplankton consuming microplastic. Given the fact that zooplanktons are integral part of the food of aquatic organisms, the impacts on the food chain would be severe.
Clingfilm is both a health hazard and an environmental nuisance and needs to be done away with. What are the alternatives we can consider?
eCoexist presents an eco friendly alternative to plastic cling film !

Reusable Cotton Bowl Covers
We love to cook but we are using too much plastic in our kitchen to store our delicious home made food. Replace the use of plastic clingfilm with these cloth reusable and adjustable bowl covers. These can be washed in hot water and reused several times, to stay hygienic and minimise waste.
 
The brainchild of Dutch designer Marie Gon, these covers will bring a contemporary look to your kitchen while being true to your ecological concerns.
 
Enjoy cooking and save the environment!
A set of three larger bowl covers and five glass covers make an elegant ecofriendly gift.
Buy Online - click here