We’ve all seen those cool looking silicone cupcake pans, ice cube trays, whisks, basters, spatulas, and other kitchenware that come in a variety of alluring colors and soft, malleable shapes. There are even silicone baggies that replace disposable plastic "zip-lock" style bags, and these can be used over and over and last a good long time. All these items promise durability, convenience, style, and easy clean-up, but is this material sustainable for the environment and is it safe for our health?
What is Silicone?
Silicone is a synthetic, human-made “rubber” that is made out of bonded silica (a natural and abundant element found in sand and rock) and hydrocarbons (which give it the useful qualities of plastic). Silicone is chemically inert and stable, and in 1979, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recognized it as a food-grade safe material. Silicone spatulas were on the market ten years later, but no additional studies by the FDA have been done and they are long overdue. Health Canada, Canada’s health agency, currently maintains there are no known health hazards with food-grade silicone cookware, and it is safe as long as it is used at recommended temperatures, which should not exceed 428 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). At lower temperatures, silicone is heat-resistant, freezer safe, oven safe, and does not produce hazardous fumes.
Is Silicone Safe for Our Bodies?
Since quality silicone cookware is usually coated with food grade compounds, no chemicals will leach into food unless it is subjected to higher temperatures. When lower quality silicone cookware was tested beyond the permissible temperature limit, there was low-level migration. Some studies have raised concerns that chemicals in silicone can leach into fattier and oilier foods during prolonged exposure or at heat above 300 degrees. Obviously, this raises some concerns, particularly for items like baby bottle nipples and seals that come into contact with formula and other foods. There is anecdotal evidence of dyes or silicone oil oozing out of overheated silicone cookware, which is worrisome since some chemicals in silicone, such as siloxanes, are considered endocrine and fertility disruptors and possibly carcinogenic. Supposedly consumers can offset these dangers by not exceeding high temperatures, using silicone cookware that is not scratched or cut, not washing silicone with metal scrubbers, and not putting it in the dishwasher. More cautious cooks and purists in the kitchen might prefer glass and metal kitchenware. People with sensitivities to chemicals or concerns about leaching might want to stay away from silicone cookware until more definitive research has been conducted.
Silicone is gas-permeable and has many applications other than kitchenware. It is used across various industries such as construction and manufacturing, solar panels, and the medical field for items like medical tubing, menstrual cups, and breast implants. Silicone is not acutely toxic and is considered biocompatible, but when silicone particles enter the body, such as through silicone breast implants, it can trigger autoimmune disorders and other negative bodily reactions. Despite persistent controversy, a link between silicone breast implants and breast cancer has been debunked.
Is Silicone Safe for the Environment?
Silicone’s environmental footprint is not the best eco-friendly alternative as marketing would have you believe. Compared to plastics, which are made entirely from fossil fuel-derived materials, silicone is silica-based, but it still contains petrochemical compounds, Silicone relies on hydrocarbons derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource, and it is not biodegradable or compostable in a normal human lifetime. You can use it repeatedly without it breaking down or shedding microplastics, but after you discard it, it will sit around in landfill without fully degrading. Interestingly, silicone is such a new human-made material that it hasn’t existed long enough for materials such as yeasts, bacteria, fungi, and enzymes to evolve to degrade them! Additionally, recycling silicone may be technically possible, but no such curbside programs in the United States exist, and specialized recycling processes and facilities that could do the job aren’t widely available yet.
Bottom Line
Silicone kitchenware is aesthetically pleasing, longer lasting, and leaches fewer potentially toxic chemicals into food compared to plastic, but because of its low level of recyclability, non-biodegradability, and possible health effects when used at high temperatures, it is not as green a choice as stainless steel, iron, glass, cloth, waxed cloth or wraps, or ceramic.
Sources:
https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/is-silicone-bad-for-the-environment
https://www.treehugger.com/is-silicone-biodegradable-5097218
https://www.treehugger.com/silicone-safe-alternative-single-use-plastics-4858711
https://lifewithoutplastic.com/silicone/
Photo by Melina Bronca on Unsplash
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