Environmental Question #9 [Teflon]

Courtesy of Reddit user u/elizajaneredux

Q: How bad is non-stick/teflon coating for the consumer and the environment? How about ceramic? Thanks!

A: Teflon is pretty bad, and it is currently going through the process of being banned in several rich countries, but that said I don't think you should throw away your pans if you have them, just don't buy more. Teflon is a very tough material, which is part of why it became so popular. I'm sure you've heard not to use metal utensils on teflon pans, and that is because it can scrape the teflon off and cause it to get into your food. Also if the teflon is scratched up already it has a higher chance of leaching into the food. That said though, if your pans are scratch-free, since teflon is so tough it leaches a negligible amount. So if you have scratch-free teflon pans, I suggest you continue using them until you start to see scratches, then throw them out.  

For the environment teflon is pretty bad because it cannot decompose naturally, even over millions of years. However, there are industrial processes that can be used to decompose it artificially into safe, non-toxic products, but that is expensive so it will take lots of noise from the public to get companies and governments to start cleaning it up.  

Ceramic is totally fine, it's literally just the same as rocks on a chemical level. If you've ever seen a kid eat sand, or if you've been a kid who's eaten sand, you know that it doesn't cause any health issues unless you eat it by the fistful, and even then it doesn't cause any lasting problems.  

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