Is black plastic safe?

What is “black plastic”?

Black plastic is just that. It is black and plastic, and it is all around us. Think about kitchenware such as spatulas, take-out food containers, and toys. These products are often made from recycled plastic. When plastic from products that contain flame retardants, such as electronics, are recycled into something else such as black plastic, some of the flame retardant can remain as a contaminant. 

How to spot it

It is hard to say if a particular item of black plastic has high levels of flame retardants. These chemicals are found in variable amounts simply because of the nature of manufacturing processes that use recycled plastics. Some products may have no or very low levels of worrisome chemicals, and others high amounts. There is no easy way to tell. 

Is black plastic toxic?

The potential danger of black plastic is from recycling plastic products that contained flame retardants. Flame retardants are used in plastic casings of electronics such as televisions, but are not intended for everyday household products, such as take-out containers. 

Brominated flame retardants have been associated with adverse health effects, including the development of certain types of cancers and may disrupt the endocrine system. They may also have effects on the brain and reproductive system, and it is thought that children are more susceptible to their effects. They can also accumulate in the environment.

Should I replace my black plastic kitchenware?

With the information we have at this time, it is hard to say. Studies have shown that flame retardant chemicals are present in these items, but there is not enough information to say for sure that the amount will present a problem with routine use. 

Can you be poisoned by black plastic? 

There is not a good way to quantify your chances of poisoning due to the myriad factors involved. Take the example of a spatula. It would depend on the amount of the chemical in that particular spatula, how often you used it, how large the spatula is, how hot it was, how long it was heated for, how much contact there was with the food, and whether you licked the spatula when you were done.

The other complication is that these chemicals do not cause immediate poisoning in the way that we traditionally think of an overdose. These are low-level chronic exposures that generally do not cause symptoms, and we have to think of it as a cumulative risk over years, or even decades. Further study is necessary to better understand the risk to humans and the environment and to inform safe recycling of plastic products.

Environmental impact

At this time, recycled plastic is so common in our environment, it would be difficult to identify replacements for all of the products that could be affected. We also must consider the environmental impact of not recycling certain products and the fact that we are often not able to remove every bit of a chemical from the environment. Because the brominated flame retardants can accumulate in the environment, this is an important area of future study. 

Safely disposing of black plastic

Black plastic is often not recycled because it is hard for facilities to sort out. You should check with your local recycling center if they accept black plastics for recycling. If they do not accept it for recycling, you can throw it away in the regular trash. Another option is to repurpose it and use it for something else. For example, instead of storing food in a black plastic container, you could use it to store small tools, which would be less likely to cause significant exposure to any chemicals that it contains. 

Safe alternatives to black plastics

There are several alternatives to black plastic. You can use stainless steel or wood kitchenware. If you get takeout in a black plastic container, take the food out right away and serve or store it in a ceramic container. Avoid children’s toys that contain black plastics, as it is children are more susceptible to the effects of brominated flame retardants. 

Symptoms of a toxic black plastic exposure

Because exposures to chemicals in black plastic are small and occur over long periods of time, there would not be any symptoms expected in the short term. 

What should I do if I’ve had exposure to black plastic?

Because most exposures do not result in symptoms in the short term, there is not anything you need to do. Blood tests are not helpful. If you have questions about black plastic, call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222.