The Vermont Public Interest Research Group is offering consumer tips and recommendations on how to avoid excessive packaging and toxic plastic products during the holidays.
The Vermont Public Interest Research and Education Fund has released “Tis the Season for Less Plastic,” a report that provides examples of products made with toxic chemicals or that are over packaged leading to unnecessary waste.
VPIRG Executive Director Paul Burns says there is a 25 percent increase in household waste generated between Thanksgiving and New Year’s and much of it is due to a proliferation of plastic packaging.
“It’s a great time to be with friends and family. It is also an appropriate time to be thinking about the waste that we generate and what we could avoid by making smarter purchases and urging companies, and to some extent our government, to do more as well,” Burns says.
With an array of products laid out before him, Burns picked up a pair of black plastic kitchen utensils.
“The kinds of things that you use for cooking on a daily basis many times they’re made of black plastic. And this black plastic, a recent study shows, can often contain toxic flame retardants that could potentially pose a risk to the health of those people using them for cooking,” reports Burns. “But it is something that can be avoided relatively easily. We have silicone kitchen utensils available, also wooden utensils therefore avoiding many of the hazards of black plastic.”
Beyond hazardous materials, Burns went to the supermarket where he found numerous over-packaged products.
“A potato doesn’t need plastic packaging. It comes in its own packaging and it has always been good for thousands of years. You don’t need this kind of wasteful packaging on produce,” asserts Burns. “And we see it not just with potatoes, but as you see here, all sorts of different vegetables come now packaged in their own plastic packaging. That’s not necessary.”
VPIRG Environmental Associate Alexis Drown says 50 to 60 million disposable coffee pods are thrown out every day.
“The alternative is not only more environmentally friendly but it’s actually also way cheaper,” notes Drown. “If you buy a reusable coffee pod and a bag of coffee at the store instead of a box of disposable coffee pods you are helping the environment, reducing your waste and you’re also saving a ton of money at home.”
Burns held up a pair of polyester track pants that contain at least 14 compounds on the Vermont Department of Health’s list of high concern to children. Burns notes that companies are required to report to the state when they are selling products that contain compounds that may affect children’s health.
“We are the only state to require that companies, manufacturers, report to the state their use of toxic chemicals in products that are made for children. However, that database is very difficult to use,” Burns observes. “And ultimately I do think Vermont should go further to demand more of manufacturers to say our planet can’t take this and it is unnecessary.”
VPIRG notes that consumers can often avoid excessive plastic packaging by buying local or ordering from companies that use natural or biodegradable materials such as wood chips or newspaper.
