It is already annoying, let’s just get this over and simply say if it is made of plastic, even in small part , it will release micro plastics .
Because every other day is another “revelation” of something obvious .
Just add it to road tires sloughing it by driving… It’s the new leaded disaster. Thanks oil lobbies.
Lead is still a disaster though. Fazing lead pipes out is great but with out subsidies for remediation old lead pipes never get removed. Places like France didn’t even faze our lead pipes until 1995
Lead pipes are safe while they’re stable. If they get moved or cut or anything, or acid removes the protective layer, then they can become unsafe. Kind of like asbestos.
Lead in avgas, on the other hand, is definitely unsafe.
That’s okay, all the individual ingredients are already riddled with micro-plastics, and so are we
I think at this point the environment is so infused with them that it is pointless to pretend we can avoid them.
I remember one study about microplastics gave up because either they couldn’t find an uncontaminated control, or their measuring equipment was contaminating it. I’m not sure if they could tell which one it was.
But before that, the processing of the various things put in the cups adds microplastics too.
I’d have to think you’re right about this. Plastic is so versatile, I’ll bet it’s all over any sort of food processing.
Yeah, I’ve been assuming that plastic isn’t something I want anywhere near my food but can only really control plastic contact with my food inside my place. Most comes packaged in plastic. I think glass jars and produce/things produced in the store are the only things that don’t automatically come in contact with plastic, though in practice it’s only the glass jars that continue to avoid it because the stores provide plastic packaging for produce and their other stuff like meat/deli cuts or baked goods.
And I’d be surprised if the contents inside the glass jars aren’t typically stored in plastic between the farm and the jarring plant, though at least there the bins are likely large enough that contact is minimal for anything not at the edges.
One study found that stuff in glass jars actually had more microplastics than stuff in plastic bottles, from the paint on the lid.
You’re right. But, it’s less about the storage, and more about the processing. The machines used to process food all have plastic parts, bearing surfaces that wear down.
Studies published in Food Chemistry found microplastics in every commercial olive oil they tested — so olive oil does have microplastics, and the plastic comes from the extraction and bottling chain, not the olives. A 2024 study of olive and vegetable oils from Italy and Spain measured a mean of about 1,140 particles per liter, mostly fragments under 100 microns and dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene — and found no significant difference between oils bottled in glass and in plastic.
At least PE and PP are relatively harmless. I think the narrative than any microplastic is bad covers up the evil that was polluting our world with PFAS.
I kinda figured that was the case.
The coffee and cream also contain micro plastics.
And I pissed in it
The coffee is also cursed
I’m still a little mad society didn’t latch onto “frogurt” instead of “froyo”.
That’s bad
But you get your choice of topping!
That’s good
The toppings contain potassium benzoate
…
That’s bad
I’m getting macroplastic sprinkles
Like a fun curse? A low poly skull follows you around and goes MYEH now and then?
You may call me MURRAY!
Ah I forgot about Murray! I was actually referencing a tiny indie game called Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor though
It’s microplastics all the way down.
I love how people drink alcohol which is litttally a form of poison, smoke or vape heavy metals, and eat the most processed shit food made. But micro plastics is where they want to draw the line.
Well there is no perceived benefit to micro plastics. No buzz, no stress relief, no fun etc… They are just a biproduct.
I think they taste good
I love that somepony downvoted this. “No no NO! They do NOT taste good! >:(” lmao
I’ve heard they make my balls taste good
Your mom’s balls taste good.
I guess allergenic people, f- em?
People like to have the freedom to pick their poison.
Man, these university researchers just love telling us all the ways we’re gonna contract some horrible condition, or disease, or death.
On the other hand, there are probably more carcinogens in city air than microplastic.
There’s microplastic in the air.
they don’t love telling you that.
the media loves telling you that, and loves making rich white peopel panic and go out and buy all new cups/cookware/appliances based on the new latest scary study.
and i have relatives who do this. every 5 years they re-buy everything in their kitchen based on whatever is the latest scare trend is. non-stick, plastics, pfas, bpa, etc. it’s like clockowrk, every 5 years there is a new boogeyman think that you have to go buy all new pots and pants and dishware to ‘avoid’. or water bottles.
i bet in 5 years we’re going to start hearing how eating of out steel cookware/cups is bad for you and we all have to go back to plastic because that’s safer.
That’s a valid problem, I want also to point out that there are lids made out of polystyrene and people sometimes put hot food in styrofoam (also polystyrene). That plastic barely biodrades at all and is not stable at moderately high temperatures.
Also, even though PLA has 12 more particles PE might be a lot more damaging since PLA is biodegradable. Although the jury is still out on PLA and how efficiently the body can get rid of it PE is much much more likely to stay and accumulate.
Make your own coffee anyway, that way it’s personalized exactly how you want it
You’re assuming I’m capable of making coffee how I want it.
Just kidding. I make 90% of my coffee at home, and it’s great. The best part is using beans you love. For me it’s Ethiopian Sidamo beans produced by a local roaster.
There’s a roaster near me called Dapper and Wise, great coffee, I wouldn’t trade it for the stuff from Starbucks.
Most coffee drinkers are addicts.
If you’re an addict, I see no reason why you wouldn’t bring your own steel double wall vacuum mug.
I do actually, but by the time I’ve transferred it, the damage is done. Baristas have told me they have to put it in disposable cup rather than using mine.
Find a better café? Most places offer you a discount when you bring your own cup
Boycott those stores.
Decent coffee shops offer a discount if you bring a reusable mug, because it saves them a disposable one.
A disposable coffee cup costs cents. They throw out far more than that in unsold food at the end of the day. It’s not really about the cost of the cup.
Thank god my K-Cup is safe from releasing microplastics. Pesky takeaway cups.
But not the paper one’s, right
Edit: if the paper cup is lined with PLA or PE, yes.
Every disposable food and drink container made of paper is lined with PFAS.
Fortunately that’s absolutely not true. You can buy plastic free paper for wraps and burgers.
Also, wax paper has been a thing long before plastics.
Any “paper” food container is lined with plastic. Grease barrier, water barrier, etc.
Fortunately that’s absolutely not true. You can buy plastic free paper for wraps and burgers.
Also, wax paper has been a thing long before plastics.
They use to make wax coated paper cups which was a step better. Also used to wrap candy in paper instead of plastic sleeves. Oh and all soda came in glass.
The heat of the coffee melts the wax, which kinda ruins both the coffee and the waterproofing-functionality.
Wax is great! Sadly most wax nowadays is made of oil.
…what do you think is the difference between wax and plastic…?
Wax biodegrades easily and breaks down in compost environments and doesn’t accumulate in your body…?
So in the context of packaging none of that is true. The real difference between wax and plastic is that plastic has a higher molecular weight. No specific cutoff, it’s mostly just vibes. Some packaging folk add a second criteria: wax melts, then burns, while plastic just burns.
Using your definition of wax, you’re pretty much living in the 17th century. Nowadays, wax comes from oil, and is usually the exact same polymer as the plastic packaging on the next product over. But with slightly smaller molecules.
Edit: I forgot grease barrier. Old school compostable biodegradable wax dissolves in grease. You don’t want that.
No, sorry, that’s an elementary misunderstanding of molecular weight.
Saying plastic and wax are the same because plastic just has a higher molecular weight is like saying a puddle and a glacier are the same because they’re both water. Molecular weight dictates how a material behaves. Plastic’s massive polymer chains (up to millions in molecular weight) cannot biodegrade, they break down mechanically into toxic microplastics that persist for centuries. Waxes are short-chain molecules (molecular weight under 1,000) that do not fragment into microplastics.
Furthermore, you’re assuming all wax is petroleum-paraffin. The push for wax packaging today relies heavily on natural, bio-based waxes (beeswax, soy, plant waxes), which are structurally chemical esters, not petroleum polymers. They are fully compostable, safe, and easily processed by the environment and living organisms. It’s not ‘vibes,’ it’s basic chemistry.
Okay. And then what happens when your <1000 mw wax polymerizes into a surface coating?
Because if I take 10 trillion cups of water and freeze them all into one block, that’s a damn good approximation of a glacier.
