‘Cancer Risk from Paper Plates’ People are falling victim to liver, breast, and other cancers.

Are you eating hot food on paper plates? If so, it is like buying cancer for yourself. Paper plates with plastic and colored coatings are having a serious impact on health. When hot rice and curries are served in them, the chemicals in the plates dissolve and enter our stomach directly. Doctors warn that in the long run these can lead to deadly cancers. To prevent the paper from becoming soggy and oil from leaking through, manufacturers use polyethylene coatings or artificial colors on them. When very hot food items are served on these plates, those chemicals dissolve and mix into the food. Research says these gradually enter the digestive system and can lead to liver and pancreatic cancers, and in women, through hormonal imbalance, to breast cancer. In addition, the body’s immunity is also declining. According to estimates by the ICMR and the National Cancer Registry Programme, more than 50 thousand cancer cases were recorded in Telangana in 2025. If more than 29 thousand people died from various types of cancer, it is clear how serious the situation is.

● What is this chemical.

Frequent use of colored paper plates causes a chemical called bisphenol present in them to enter the human body. It can damage the nervous system along with chronic diseases such as liver cancer and kidney disorders. Because paper plates are made with bioplastic and petroleum plastic coatings, when hot food is eaten, this coating turns into chemicals and enters the body, causing health problems.
Bisphenol-A is a dangerous chemical widely used in the manufacture of colorful paper plates, disposable cups, and items with plastic coatings. Likewise, chemical industrial dyes are used for attractive colors. Thus, eating hot food from paper plates containing colors, plastic coatings, and polyethylenes causes dangerous chemicals to enter the stomach directly.

● More than a lakh mandaps ‘crores of plastic plates’.

During the recent Vinayaka Navaratri celebrations, annadanams were organized everywhere. Wherever one looked, people ate on colorful plates. Because they were convenient to purchase on the spot and could be used once and discarded, colored paper plates were used. More than two lakh Vinayaka mandaps were set up across the state. Annadanams were held without distinction between small and large mandaps. For more than ten days, every day there was an annadanam at one mandap or another in every area. In many places, meals were served on paper plates with plastic covers. Even if annadanam was held for at least one day at each mandap, and around 200 people ate at each, crores of paper plates were used. In just ten days, crores of paper plates turned into waste and polluted the environment as well.

● Focus should be placed on ‘steel banks’.

Experts clearly state that the time has come to promote reusable steel items instead of paper and plastic plates to escape the danger of harmful chemicals. They suggest creating full-scale awareness among the public and that governments and festival committees should voluntarily come forward and strictly enforce the ban on plastic colored paper plates. They say that using banana leaves and broad leaves of the moduga tree in their place is best, or that implementing a ‘steel bank’ during festivals and community meals can become an effective alternative. Recently, some villages and youth associations have been setting up steel banks.
Some villages in Telangana have established ‘steel plates and glasses banks’ under the leadership of gram panchayats and youth groups. Whenever a ceremony takes place in any household, or whenever a community annadanam is held, steel plates are provided free of charge. They take them away, clean them after the meals are over, and return them. Through this method, some villages have been able to completely prevent plastic paper waste. Experts say that everyone should take inspiration from these case studies and voluntarily take up the use of steel plates as a movement.

● Choutpalli as a model.

Following doctors’ advice that eating with plastic covers and paper plates causes cancers, eating in plastic plates has been banned in Choutpalli of Kammarpally mandal in Nizamabad district from May 01, 2026. Wherever a function is held in the village, steel plates and steel glasses are being provided free of charge for weddings, birthday parties, saree functions, and all other occasions. The Government Employees Union of the village and the Srilakshminarayana Swamy Trust sponsored a total of 1,000 plates and glasses. A special representative was appointed for this and a ‘steel bank’ was established.
Whether there are festivals in the village, weddings, birthday parties, or any other occasions, these plates are being used. Those holding a function first call the person in charge of this steel bank, who arranges steel plates and glasses. Along with the village market, this gram panchayat is setting an example by banning plastic covers and plastic tea cups in grocery shops and tea hotels.

● A danger to humans and livestock too.

Putting and eating hot food on plastic plates amounts to inviting diseases. Eating rice on colored paper plates causes microplastics to enter the stomach and leads to cancer. If the used plates are thrown outside, livestock may eat them, putting them at risk too. That is why our request is to stay away from plastic and paper plates as much as possible.