With the change in our political climate, the country is brimming with new hope. Citizens have welcomed many of the early decisions and directives coming from various ministries.
Bangladesh suffers from a severe plastic waste challenge. Each year an estimated 800,000 tons of plastic waste are generated in this country. Most single-use plastic generated in Bangladesh ends up in landfills, the local environment, or the ocean. With the banning of plastic bags from super shops, we can hope that other steps will soon be taken to reduce our national plastic footprint from the environment.
When you talk about risks and hazards from plastic, another major concern is the immediate health implications of plastic in and around our food. Plastic contains harmful chemicals and heavy metals, which can leach into food and beverages in certain conditions, posing health risks such as cancer, hormone disruption, and developmental issues. Mishandling of plastic in the storage or preparation of food can cause microplastics to enter the food chain, leading to long-term health risks.
The food industry in urban Bangladesh has been thriving for the last decade or so. And, with that, food delivery platforms and take-out services from restaurants have become very popular. I have been an ardent supporter of food delivery services from their early days as they make life infinitely easier amidst Dhaka’s traffic congestion. However, the use of hazardous and unhealthy material in food packaging for take away or delivery has also spread at an alarming rate.
We currently see five types of materials being used in the industry in packaging food for offsite consumption: Aluminum foil trays with foil lined paper lids, polystyrene (Styrofoam) clamshell containers, paper cartons coated with thin plastic film, inferior quality plastic containers and, worst of all, thin non-food-grade poly-bags.
While all of these can be harmful for health if used extensively, the rampant use of plastic bags that have not been made for food packaging raises the biggest concerns. Food at high temperatures (for example right after food is deep-fried) can interact with polystyrene and cause it to release toxic chemicals.
Safe usage guidance of these containers suggests not packing food in them when it is very hot. When it comes to plastic containers and plastic bags, heat in general can cause them to leach and release harmful chemicals into the food. And, the risk increases if these containers were not made with food-grade plastic.
I remember one incident where my colleagues ordered piaju from Gulshan-2 DCC market to celebrate something at work. When the delivery arrived, the team received the piajus in one of those blue shopping bags and some of the piajus at the bottom were fused with the plastic bag as they were probably put in the bag right from the fryer.
Given that delivery platforms and most restaurant owners are collectively nonchalant about the use of non-food grade, inferior plastic bags to pack scorching hot food to feed Dhakaites, we can foresee an urban health crisis that can easily be mitigated through proper oversight, initiative, and cooperation.
It is high time that we all take a closer look at our options. We as consumers need to let restaurant owners know that we expect them to pack our food responsibly. Food delivery platforms could play an important role here by guiding and requiring restaurants and kitchens to not use unapproved packaging and gradually phase-out plastic containers. These platforms already take the responsibility for ensuring that food establishments are run properly and hygienically. So, this would be an additional requirement that should always have been there.
This could be a win-win situation for the food delivery platforms, or even the restaurants as they could use this move in their marketing communication and say that they are adopting stricter packaging standards to safeguard the health of their consumers.
Plastic-alternative packaging options, although limited, are slowly making their way. It will still take some time for them to become commercially viable. We probably need policy guidance in these areas so that the innovators can “productize” their inventions so they can compete in the market alongside the harmful plastic options.
As the food industry thrives in our metropolis, let’s strive to ensure we are not pushing our exuberant foodies toward a health crisis from ingesting these harmful and silent toxins.
Sajedul Hoq is a development professional with 22 years of experience.