Saying no to black plastic kitchen utensils

With each new report of what might be shortening my lifespan, I often quip: “Something has to kill me.”

Realizing all of those “somethings” will eventually add up I decided I should start addressing some of those “somethings” that are not good for me.

Tossing black plastic utensils for health reasons. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

This month out went all the black plastic kitchen utensils. Much has been written about them, including the mathematical error in how determining how bad the chemical content is was wrong. It’s not as bad as first reported.

Still, the utensils are not good. Obviously the danger each person is exposed to is going to be determined by how often these spoons and the like are used, the heat at which they are used, and if they continue to be used once they begin to fray.

Many of them are made from recycled electronic components. Some have toxic flame retardant in them.

How many times has my food touched toxins? Eek-gad.

These toxins are also found in black take-out containers (so don’t reheat anything in them and put the food in a different container when you get home), grocery meat trays (one thing I don’t have to worry about), as well as some kids’ toys.

Just when we thought recycling was good; that is was repurposing discarded items into something new. It was. Now we know that something new could be killing us.

Most of our plastic utensils were replaced with stainless steel. The pasta wand is made out of a pretty wood.

Mom and I discussed whether we should donate our old plastic or toss it. We tossed it. No need to poison others. Though we did wince at the thought of them ending up in a landfill and poisoning the earth. Sometimes there are no good choices.