LONG before plastic waste litters our land and waterways, it has already caused serious environmental and human health impacts because of its oft-ignored linkage to toxic chemicals. We cannot craft a sustainable future for plastic until we address the toxic chemicals emitted during plastic manufacturing and used in plastic products and packaging. The problem starts early in the production process. Among all refineries and petrochemical facilities in the United States, the top 10 most polluting are ones that make chemical feedstocks for the plastics industry. Industrial plants that manufacture polymers and chemical additives that go into plastics emit large volumes of hazardous air pollutants. The carcinogen ethylene oxide, the most hazardous of these pollutants, is used to make many products, including plastic water bottles, and is emitted into the atmosphere in large volumes during production.
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