It is time to bid farewell to "Poison Plastic" to eliminate PVC food packaging into an international trend!

Recently, Taiwan has issued PVC packaging restrictions on "regulations", announcing that starting from July 1, 2023, it is forbidden to manufacture, input and sell food packaging containers containing PVC.

In June 2021, the New Zealand Minister of Environment David Parker announced that the New Zealand government was about to carry out plastic elimination work and promised to eliminate all food and beverage packaging containing PVCs before mid -2025.

As more and more countries and regions have promulgated the elimination of PVC food packaging, the disable PVC food packaging has become an international trend. So, what exactly is PVC? Why eliminate PVC food packaging? What impact does it have on our lives? In our country, what PVC -related regulations are there? Let's follow the footsteps!

What is PVC?

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), a Chinese name is polyvinyl chloride, is a polymer for chloride. PVC is one of the most widely used plastic products in the world. The learning utensils, toys, food plastic wraps, raincoats, furniture, water pipes, medical equipment, building materials, etc. all have PVCs.

Common PVC plastic products

Figure 丨 Non -toxic Pioneer

However, extensive use does not mean that PVC products are safe and healthy. On the contrary, PVC is extremely harmful to the human body and the environment, and it is even called "fighter in poisonous plastic".

Why eliminate PVC?

Reason 1: The chlorohylene monomer in PVC is type 1 carcinogenic matter

PVC products contain a chloride monomer. According to the latest list of material carcinogenic categories released by the World Health Organization International Cancer Research Agency (IARC), for humans, to determine carcinogens, if it is exposed to the material for a long time, it will cause damage to the human respiratory tract and liver, and even Bring carcinogenic risk.

Reason 2: The entire life cycle of PVC is closely related to the toxic substances that endanger human health and the environment.

The harm caused by the PVC life cycle

Figure 丨 Non -toxic Pioneer

First, the production of PVC will bring pollution to the environment. In our country, due to the lack of oil resources, most of the PVC uses electric stone. However, the production process will involve or produce a variety of toxic chemicals such as dichlorohylocyrosis, ethyl chloride, and mercury. Once an explosion or leakage occurs, the health threats to workers and nearby people are greatly threatened.

Secondly, due to the existence of various additives, the use of PVC will cause damage to the human body.

Before making various finished products, PVC needs to add different plasticizers according to the softness required by the product. However, a large number of plasticizer toxicity research shows that plasticizers can cause cancer, deformed, and mutagenic.

There are many types of plasticizers, among which the most used is phthalate chemicals. This type of chemical will be added to the product to have a certain exudation and volatility. After use and abandonment, it will gradually move to the atmosphere, water body, soil and other environments with the PVC matrix material, and enter the human body through the flow of the food chain. Studies have shown that phthalates and its metabolites and degradation products can interfere with the endocrine effect of the human body, leading to feminine or cause precocious puberty in children.

In addition, because plasticizers are not soluble in water and soluble in oil, they will exudate as long as they come in contact with oil foods or containers. Therefore, the Taiwan "Environment Agency" believes that the use of PVC food packaging will have the risk of plasticizers into food, which will bring chronic harm to the human reproductive system, immune system, and digestive system.

In addition to plasticizers, the heating stabilizer will be added during the production and processing of PVC. The commonly used thermal stabilizers are metal salts such as lead, cadmium, zinc, tin, and tin. During use, these metal elements will exudate from PVC products, bringing heavy metal pollution, endangering environmental and human health. Studies have shown that cadmium affects the kidney function of the human body, and lead will not only damage the child's nervous system, hinder its IQ development, but also damage the female reproductive system, and may even cause cancer.

Finally, the treatment of PVC waste will also cause pollution.

Because PVC contains chlorine, if it is burned, it will not only release toxic hydrogen chloride gases, but also produce two evils of heavy metals and strong carcinogens, pollute air and soil, and endanger human health.

At the same time, PVC is difficult to degrade, and the landfill treatment efficiency is not high. If PVC waste is stacked in a landfill, it will not only have a hidden fire hazard, but also exudate harmful substances such as heavy metals and organic halide, which will cause pollution to soil and groundwater.

Therefore, whether it is landfill or incineration, the treatment of PVC waste will bring environmental problems. In addition, because PVC products often contain plasticizers and heavy metals, once it is mixed with regeneration plastic, it will pollute and regenerate plastic. Therefore, the recycling of PVC waste is not small.

What are the relevant regulations of PVC in my country?

In order to reduce the security problems brought by food contact PVC, my country has formulated relevant regulations to limit the amount of residual thermal stabilizers and plasticizers added in which the added thermal stabilizer and plasticizer added.

Figure 丨 "Food Safety National Standard Food Materials and Products General Safety Requirements"

According to the relevant provisions of the "Food Safety National Standard Food Conducting Plastic Resin" (GB4806.6-2016), the chlorine chloride must not be detected in food contact materials and their products, and the residual amount of chlorolythene must not exceed 1 mg/kg.

For thermal stabilizer, the "National Standard Food Materials and Products of Food Safety" (GB9685-2016) shows that leading additives have not been permitted. In other words, lead -salt thermal stabilizers are prohibited in PVC materials and products in my country's food contact. Finally, about the plasticizer in PVC food contact materials, according to the "Standard for the use of additives for food safety national standard food contact materials and product use additives" (GB9685-2016), there are 4 types of phthalate However, during use, you need to strictly control these substances from PVC food packaging to the largest amount (that is, specific migration limits).

In summary, PVC food contact materials have safety problems such as residual monomers and additives, and its production and use are not good for human health and environment. Therefore, in the field of food contact materials, the gradual elimination of PVC and finding safe and healthy alternative materials are an important development direction in the future.

Information Sources

[1] Beehive.govt.nz. Government takes action on proplem plastics. [Online] available at:

[2] IARC. IARC MONOGRAPHS on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans. [Online] available at:

[3] Report. "Plasticizers are afraid of penetrating foods for foods to make PVC food packaging in July next year". [Online] available at:

[4] Food Partner Network. ] Available at:

[5] Plastic detoxification. "PVC is a fighter in poison plastic". [Online] available at:

[6] Non -toxic pioneer.

-End-

Edit: Li Rui, get rid of plastic binding

- END -