The lack of transparency around the plastics industry has led academics and campaigners to search for facts-and those facts are startling. Some 16,000 chemicals are used in plastic and yet only 6% are currently subject to international regulation. Of those 16,000 chemicals, many are endocrine disruptors, meaning our hormones and bodily functions are under constant attack when exposed. With a new chemical being produced every 1.4 minutes, our exposure is only set to rise.
A toxic soup of endocrine disruptors, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and phthalates present in plastic cause cancer, infertility, heart disease, and more. One study has estimated that 50,000 people a year die in the U.S. because of the level of phthalates lowering their hormones.
The associated social costs of the tide of plastic chemicals amount to 1.22% of the U.S. gross domestic product - a $250 billion bill for the healthcare systems of the nation. Perhaps a corporation or financier may think that this number is not their problem for another as their profits will be protected. This is not the case. Near-term exposure (2022-30) to corporate liabilities from plastic-related pollution, including chemical additives, is likely to exceed $20 billion in the U.S. alone.
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