I tried to get rid of plastic, but I lost the battle
Since August 5, around a hundred delegations have been meeting in Geneva to try to reach an international agreement against plastic pollution. The last meetings, in December 2024, ended in failure. On a more modest level, a journalist from “The Atlantic” has attempted to eliminate from her daily life the synthetic materials most harmful to the body and the environment. She describes her struggle.
Teflon pans, I loved you so much. With you, I've fried tofu, roasted potato pancakes, deglazed sauces, marveling each time that I could clean you with a single swipe of a sponge. And then one day, I began to fear you: weren't you slowly killing me?
The interior coating of a non-stick pan contains plastic. When heated, it can release toxic gases. When scratched, it can flake off and mingle with the good bits of toasted food and the tasty peppercorns. “Data indicates that accidental ingestion of pieces of non-stick coating is not dangerous to health,” assures the company that produces Teflon [ the American chemical giant DuPont de Nemours ]. It nevertheless warns its users and urges them to moderate the cooking temperature, to use an extractor hood when cooking with their non-stick utensils, and not to preheat them empty.
Other data, and they are abundant, indicate that the ingestion of plastic can damage organs, disrupt the immune system, increase the rigidity of blood vessel walls or even increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
Courrier International
