India, May 4 -- Plastics, ubiquitous and convenient, have long enjoyed widespread usage owing to their versatility. From simple flexible tubes to sophisticated laptops, these materials have unparalleled utility. But this convenience comes thanks to toxic additives and chemicals, a persistent environmental and health challenge. Additives leach from intact products, or as microplastics, contaminating the human body. Plastic pollution, therefore, is also chemical pollution.

Take Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, or EDCs, a generic name for chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system. This causes hormonal systems to become dysfunctional, causing illnesses such as developmental disorders, thyroid disorders, infertility, and sleep disorders, amo...