no offense to older people in chat, but why do so many older USonians try to overuse appliances or reusable containers with worn out plastic in contact with food?

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is this a worldwide issue? my hypothesis was they got introduced to them as wonder materials of the future. even plastic sponges get reused when they clearly have molecule-deep filth in every crevasse

  • EmmaGoldman [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netM
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    8 months ago

    A lot of people just don’t realise that reusing disposable containers like takeout food or water/soda bottles is hazardous to their health. It’s absolutely a global issue.

    It’s not just about the multiple known carcinogens that leach out on contact with food or water, and can do so even faster as the bottle takes unavoidable damage over time, after being washed, when exposed to heat, or with UV exposure.

    All of these things result in tiny scratches and cracks in the plastic which also become bacterial breeding grounds. There is no way to clean or sterilize them, attempts to do so will only result in more damage, which means more chemical leaching and more places for bacteria to hide.

    The only way to avoid this is to only put food or drink in contact with non-porous reusable materials like glass, metal, or stoneware.