The US Environment Protection Agency recently found that recycled paper and construction materials “contained greater numbers of chemicals than virgin products”. Researchers found 733 chemicals in particular, including flame retardants, solvents, and dyes, which had a “greater occurrence in recycled compared to virgin materials”.
The authors of the paper, which was published in Environmental Science and Technology, have warned that “the circular nature of the recycling economy may have the potential to introduce additional chemicals into products”.
Read the full article on the ENDSReport website.