[kongolongo]

When those materials were the standard we also didn't have a lot of the medical and technological equipment today that arguably reduced both mortality and morbidity across large swaths of a much, much larger population. Plastics are used widely in electronics and all of the accompanying tech improvements too it isn't just simple as packaging, so it isn't a "solved problem" if you want to go back to those materials and replace everything plastic has become standard for in today's technologies.

[georgia_peach]

What does "pthalates in food packaging" have to do with medicine or technology? For food it is a solved problem.

Also, #1 contribution to life expectancy has been public hygiene. Aside from antibiotics, all of the other medical interventions have been noise.

https://sjbpublichealth.org/200-years-public-health-doubled-...

> the largest gain in life expectancy occurred between 1880 and 1920 due to public health improvements such as control of infectious diseases, more abundant and safer foods, cleaner water, and other nonmedical social improvements

[georgia_peach]

The plastics, which might as well be considered solidified gasoline, are also a tremendous hazard in home furnishings[0]. The flame-retardants slow the burn a little, but still highly combustible compared to traditional materials. The science is pointing the finger at the same flame retardants for raising cancer rates among firefighters around 10% higher than the general population[1,2].

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87hAnxuh1g8

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8403436/

[2] https://www.sffcpf.org/news-post-2/