"Certain products made from black plastic — like the kind found in takeout containers, coffee lids and even kitchen utensils — are coming under fire by experts because of a recent study that found a lack of regulation around recycling is causing toxic chemicals to show up in household plastics.
In a study published in the journal Chemosphere in October, researchers from the U.S. and the Netherlands found brominated fire retardants (BFR) used to strengthen plastics for electronics in household products made with recycled black plastics in the U.S.
Fire retardants — including toxic, regulated compounds — were found in roughly 85 per cent of products analyzed by the study's researchers. The items tested include kitchen utensils, food trays and even children's toys.
"In many cases, when we come across black plastics in our kitchen, they are made from recycled electronic components that include cell phones, old computers and laptops that are not intended for human food applications," said Tizazu Mekonnen, a University of Waterloo chemical engineering professor who was not involved in the study."
