By Zoe Hurley

When we see a positive image of someone smoking it's normally from the celluloid past of film noir. We smugly laugh at our grandparents generation’s naivety but feel angry that our parents smoked around us and are glad that smoking is no longer allowed in public places so our own children won’t be able to smoke, propped up against a student bar (like we did, even though we knew it was bad for us).

So are plastics like cigarettes: a doomed embarrassment of the future? Are our children going to look back with incredulity and wonder why we were so reliant on plastics? Or will they be secretly wrapping their food in Clingfilm, sneaking out for a shot of plastic bottled water, throwing caution to the wind knowing that plastic is going to kill them but just not being able to resist, unable to quit the addiction?

Will plastic items carry photo health warnings? Images of babies with cancer on baby bottles and pacifiers? Photos of masectomies and drooping penises on plastic lunch boxes? Rotton teeth on water bottles? And despite this photo warfare will a reckless few just ignore it and carry on feeding the nasty little plastic habit? Thus the child who goes school with a sandwich wrapped in Clingfilm in 3009 may be a case for the social services, just like the British toddler who was recently photographed puffing on a fag in 2009. If so perhaps a beach full of plastic bags is the future’s answer to a dirty weekend?

Plastic Facts

Health Hazards

• During the first few years of life, when babies' cells continue to undergo "programming," exposure to certain toxic chemicals can disrupt the delicate process. Bisphenol A, a compound in hard, clear polycarbonate plastics that mimics the effects of estrogen, has raised particular concern because it interferes with hormone levels and cell signaling systems.
• Certain compounds in plastics are potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and also act as endocrine disruptors (substances with a chemical structure similar to oestrogen). The concern is that the human body thinks these fake oestrogens are the real thing, possibly triggering hormonal disruption and even genetic damage. Trends like dropping sperm counts and the increasingly early onset of puberty in girls, are thought to be linked to plastics.
• Bisphenol-A (BPA) is used to make polycarbonate plastics clear and is found in a vast array of household goods, including reuseable water bottles, baby bottles and coatings inside food cans. Studies link BPA to reproductive problems and new research published in Endocrinology also shows that even extremely low levels of BPA (0.23 parts per trillion) impaired brain development in rats.
• Phthalates are used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, like toys and raincoats, more pliable; they are also added to skin and haircare products. Phthalates have been shown to cause reproductive problems in animals; plus, there are connections between phthalates and premature births, endometriosis and abnormal testicle development in boys. The European Union (EU) banned phthalates in toys in 1999, Canada banned BPA in baby bottles this year and big companies like Mattel are removing phthalates from toys.
• Plastic bottles and plates that are boiled or put in the microwave or dishwasher are especially problematic because heating them repeatedly causes high amounts of BPA to leach out. Once small cracks form in the surface, a product should be discarded. Parents should switch to glass bottles or those with disposable plastic liners that don't contain BPA. And they should use microwave-safe paper plates or glass dishes covered with a paper towel rather than plastic wrap. Some manufacturers, like BornFree, have begun to offer plastic bottles and training cups that are BPA free.

Environmental Hazards

• The problem with plastic is that it doesn’t biodegrade. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, down to the size of grains of sand, bite-size for fish and birds.
• Of particular concern has been the recent accumulation of enormous quantities of plastic trash in ocean gyres.
• Plastic is entering the food chain. Six times more plastic than plankton -- tiny plants and animals – has been found in some trawls and inside fish.
• Release of toxic pollutants, greenhouse gas, litter, biodegradable and non-biodegrable landfill impact as a result of the production and disposal of petroleum and petroleum-based plastics.