The recent comprehensive piece on micro- and nanoplastics in Green and Simple (River Reporter, July 16-22) reminded me of a few data points.

A 2022 study found that reusable plastic bottles released more than 400 chemicals into water stored in the bottles for 24 hours. After going through a dishwasher cycle, over 3,500 chemicals migrated into the water.

In 2024, researchers tested various brands of bottled water and detected an average of 240,000 nano-sized bits of plastic per liter.

Also in 2024, scientists identified over 16,000 different chemicals in plastics, a quarter of which are known to be hazardous.

Many of the chemicals used to make plastics mess with our hormones. Infinitesimally small quantities of some of these compounds—on the order of a single drop in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools—can scramble the body’s signaling system.

These endocrine disruptors, as they’re called, have been linked through multiple lines of evidence to a host of health problems that are on the rise. These include obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease; infertility and other reproductive disorders; certain cancers; neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD, autism and lower IQ; and impaired immune function, among others.

Legislation like New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) would get some of the most toxic chemicals out of plastic packaging. But the chemical industry has spent millions lobbying against the bill.

As a result, the speaker of the New York State Assembly, Carl Heastie, has refused to allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote for the past three years. Turns out that his romantic partner works for one of the anti-PRRIA lobbying firms. So does a close friend and campaign advisor.

Someday we may pass legislation that gets toxics out of plastic packaging. In the meantime, you might want to avoid it. When it comes to plastic, less is best.

Rebekah Creshkoff is a member of Beyond Plastics’ volunteer speaker bureau. She lives in Callicoon, NY.