Fast food packaging materials are full of the toxic PFAS. The substance is even in packaging that is labeled as biodegradable. This is what Stichting Tegengif says on the basis of its own research together with seven other European environmental organizations.
PFAS is a collective name for about four thousand chemicals that are difficult to degrade in the environment. It is best known as a non-stick coating in pans, but it is also used to waterproof rain gear.
The environmental organizations investigated disposable packaging and disposable tableware made of cardboard, paper and pressed vegetable fibers in various European countries. “Almost a third of the selected packaging appears to have been deliberately treated with PFAS to make it grease and water resistant”, says Annelies den Boer of Stichting Tegengif.
In the NOS Radio 1 News says Den Boer that she “absolutely did not expect it to be found in materials that are known as compostable and biodegradable”. “Packaging made from pressed sugar cane, for example, contained enormous concentrations. That worries us a lot because you don’t want those substances to remain in the environment.”
Double layer paper as an alternative
Den Boer is particularly concerned because people also ingest the substances. “We get it through the packaged food. Research shows that four species from the PFAS group undermine the immune system and even impair children’s response to vaccinations,” she says.
According to Den Boer, there are alternatives. “For example, there are pizza boxes where the substances are no longer in it. To ensure that the fat does not soak in, double-layer paper is used.”
The use of PFAS is not prohibited. “The Netherlands is working on a proposal to limit it,” says Den Boer. “It is intended to be banned, but the question is how many substances will this apply and how many exceptions there are.”
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