A group of scientists has proposed a way to eliminate the negative health impacts of plastic: classify it as a hazardous material.

The team, writing in the journal Nature , says the model is the reclassification of CFCs in 1980's.  CFCs had been widely used as refrigerants and was the cause of a growing hole in the ozone layer. The 1989 Montreal Protocol reclassified CFCs as hazardous, leading to their ultimate phase out and replacement with safer chemicals. The team is targeting the 4 most potentially toxic (and difficult to recycle) types of plastics

On the short list are: polyvinylchloride, or PVC, used in making plastic pipes; polystyrene, often known as Styrofoam and used in cups and clam-shell food containers; polyurethane, used in making furniture and car seats; and polycarbonate, a hard plastic used in making baby bottles, electronics and appliances.

Once that is done, the authors say, governments might look at other types of plastic that are not made of particularly hazardous materials, but act like sponges absorbing toxic pollutants once unleashed in the oceans.

Read more in the LA Times

Download the original study at Nature