Plastic bags with veggies inside.

The Deep Dish

Of all the issues we cover, one in particular has all of us at Civil Eats deeply concerned: the widespread overuse of plastic in food and agriculture. From the myth of recycling and the millions of tons of plastic in the oceans, to the abundance of “forever chemicals” and microplastics making their way into our food and our soil, plastics are contaminating the food chain, polluting the environment, and making us sick.

November 29, 2021 | Source: Civil Eats | by

The Editors’ Desk

Of all the issues we cover, one in particular has all of us at Civil Eats deeply concerned: the widespread overuse of plastic in food and agriculture. From the myth of recycling and the millions of tons of plastic in the oceans, to the abundance of “forever chemicals” and microplastics making their way into our food and our soil, plastics are contaminating the food chain, polluting the environment, and making us sick. And while there are important ways individuals can address the problem, they often feel like a drop in the bucket when compared to the ways industry is shaping the narrative, increasing the amount of plastic being produced, and stalling or opposing regulation.

 
In this month’s members-only newsletter, we look at the plastics problem from multiple angles. We talk to experts about the long-term outlook, update previous reporting on microplastics in the soil, report on the latest regulations on PFAS “forever chemicals,” identify the challenges in packaging for sustainably produced milk, and scour for potential solutions, including plastic-free grocery stores (we even created a handy map of U.S. store locations).