Is There Animal Fat in Your Plastic Bag?

Probably. I visited a plastic bag factory this past weekend. I took a lot of pictures and asked a lot of questions, and I’ll write more about what I learned in a future post. But I just had to share this tidbit of information right away: most plastic bags (and other plastics, for that matter) contain “slip agents” to reduce the friction in the material. And what are slip agents made from? Mainly animal fat.

The factory owner I spoke with called it “chicken fat,” but according to an article I found afterward, “Animal Derived Agents in Disposable Systems (PDF),” many of these slip agents are made from rendered beef tallow. Apparently, manufacturers of biotechnology are concerned lately about beef fats used in plastic materials that come in contact with bioprocess fluids. Why? Because of prions. (Aka “mad cow disease.”)

Nice.

Rendered animals. Just one more reason to avoid the plastic bag.