At the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, Pembroke residents voted to amend the Town’s bylaws to eliminate the use of black plastic in restaurant takeout packaging. Many municipalities have adopted similar measures, and Massachusetts legislators are now considering the Mass Ready Act (Bill S3050). The bill includes a statewide ban on unrecyclable black plastic foodservice items. So, what is the concern?
Black plastic is not recyclable in Pembroke’s curbside recycling program. Its deep color comes from carbon black, a pigment that absorbs the infrared light used by sorting equipment at materials recovery facilities such as Waste Management. Because the scanners cannot detect black plastic, these items cannot be sorted for recycling and are instead sent to landfills or incinerators. Clear plastic lids are recyclable and should be separated or detached and recycled normally.
There are also health concerns. Carbon black has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” under certain exposure conditions, partly due to the presence of compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
In addition, some black plastic is manufactured using recycled electronic waste. Electronic waste (including televisions, computers, phones, and other devices) can contain hazardous substances such as flame retardants, lead, cadmium, and mercury. As a result, black plastic food containers and utensils may contain trace amounts of these chemicals. When heated, some of these substances may leach into food, raising concerns about potential health effects, including hormone disruption, neurological impacts, reproductive harm, and an increased risk of certain cancers.
For more information about the Mass Ready Act, visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mass-ready-act
