Can plastics increase your breast cancer risk?

Most of us know that too much alcohol or being overweight can increase the risk of breast cancer. Fewer people are aware of another risk factor hiding in plain sight: the chemicals in everyday plastic products. 

A growing body of research links certain chemicals (EDCs) found in plastics to disruption of the body's hormone system. And because breast cancer is a hormone-sensitive disease, that connection is one scientists and campaigners (like us here at Breast Cancer UK) are taking increasingly seriously. 

Here's what you need to know about plastic and breast cancer risk.   

What are EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals)?

EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals) are substances that interfere with the way hormones work in the body. They can mimic hormones, block their effects or alter the signals they send. Even at low levels, they can have significant effects, particularly during sensitive periods of development such as puberty, pregnancy and early childhood. 

Plastics are one of the most significant everyday sources of EDC exposure. The key chemicals to know about are: 

• Bisphenols (e.g. BPA): found in hard plastics, some food packaging and the lining of food tins. BPA is the most well-known, but ‘BPA-free’ alternatives can contain similar bisphenols with similar effects. 
• Phthalates: used to make plastics such as those used food packaging soft and flexible (common in PVC). Also found in some personal care and cleaning products. 
• PFAS (‘forever chemicals’): used in takeaway packaging. Also found in non-stick coatings and waterproof fabrics. Called ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down easily in the environment or the body. 

Due to the extensive use of EDCs in everyday products, exposure is widespread. EDCs can be released from products and enter our bodies through what we eat and drink, the air we breathe and through our skin.  

What is the endocrine system? 

The endocrine system is the network of glands and organs that produce hormones (the chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream and allow different organs to communicate). The endocrine system underpins several important bodily functions, from development and metabolism to reproduction. Read more about the endocrine system here.

What does the research say about plastics, EDCs and breast cancer? 

The honest answer is that proving direct cause and effect is difficult. People are exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals, and the timing of exposure matters. The same chemical may have very different effects depending on whether exposure occurs during foetal development, puberty or adulthood. 

A further complication is the ‘cocktail effect’: the combined impact of multiple EDCs at once may be significantly greater than any individual chemical. Most laboratory studies look at single chemicals, whereas real-world human exposure is far more complex. 

Breast Cancer UK’s position is that the precautionary principle should apply. These chemicals should not remain in widespread use until they are proven safe. Waiting for certainty, given the scale of exposure and the potential consequences, is not a neutral choice. 

Why is public awareness so low? 

Our annual Prevention Week campaign ran in May under the theme EDCs: Hiding in Plain Sight. This highlighted the hidden chemicals in everyday products and called on the UK Government to act. 

Opinion polling commissioned by Breast Cancer UK in 2026 (Opinion Matters, 2000 surveyed, March 2026) also found: 

• 71% of the UK public had no awareness of EDCs at all. 
• Only 1 in 25 people knew that children’s toys can contain EDCs. 
• Less than 1 in 14 knew that furniture is a potential source. 
• 65% of people want clear labelling when a product contains EDCs. 
• 68% believe they have the right to know exactly what is in the products they buy. 

This isn't a failure of public interest. The problem is a failure of regulation. Unlike the EU, which has introduced comprehensive bans on certain chemicals and formally recognises EDCs require labelling - the UK has been slow to act. Since Brexit, the gap between UK and EU chemical regulation has been widening. 

Read our full campaign briefing for the complete evidence and policy detail. 

The plastic connection - practical swaps 

While policy change is urgently needed, there are practical steps that can meaningfully reduce everyday EDC exposure: 

• Use glass, ceramic or stainless-steel containers for food storage, rather than plastic. 
• Never microwave food in plastic containers or covered with cling film; use glass or ceramic instead. 
• Replace plastic cooking utensils with wooden or metal alternatives (they don't degrade at high temperatures and won't transfer chemicals into food) 
• Choose loose fruit and vegetables where possible, rather than pre-packaged in plastic. 
• Switch from plastic bottles to glass or stainless steel (even "BPA-free" plastics may contain alternative bisphenols). 
• Avoid leaving plastic bottles in hot environments (a warm car, for example), which increases leaching. 

Every swap, every share brings us closer to a world where people don't have to choose between convenience and their health. 

For a more comprehensive guide to reducing EDC exposure at home, download our free EDC home guide. You can also download our A-to-Z Chemicals of Concern list to help check product labels when out shopping. 

These swaps are worth making, but it’s important to be realistic. Individual action can reduce exposure at the margins; it cannot solve a systemic problem. People on lower incomes, or with less time to navigate product choices, bear an unequal burden.

The solution has to be regulatory. 

What needs to change 

Breast Cancer UK is calling on the UK Government to ban EDCs in all non-essential products. This isn’t a fringe position; it simply reflects the direction that the EU has already started to take. 

The scale of EDC exposure is not something individuals can shop their way out of. These chemicals are embedded in the supply chains of products that people have no reasonable way to inspect or avoid.  

With 68% of people believing they have the right to know exactly what is in the products they buy, and only 1 in 25 people aware of the potential health risks from EDCs in children’s toys, the case for stronger regulation is overwhelming.  

We campaign for the prevention of breast cancer through research, education and policy change. Are you with us?  

Sign the Ban EDCs pledge now. 

FAQs 

Is BPA-free plastic safe? 

Not necessarily. BPA-free products often contain alternative bisphenols (BPS, BPF and others) which appear to have similar hormonal activity but are currently unregulated. This is known as regrettable substitution.  ‘BPA-free’ should not be read as ‘EDC-free.’ 

Are the levels of EDCs in products too low to matter? 

This is a common argument from industry, but it may not hold. EDCs don't behave like most; low doses can have effects that high doses don't. They also accumulate in the body over time, and combined daily exposures (the cocktail effect) throughout life can exceed safe levels even when each individual chemical is present at low levels. 

What is the precautionary principle? 

The precautionary principle holds that where there is reasonable scientific evidence of harm, action should be taken to protect public health, even before absolute proof of causation has been established. It requires industry to demonstrate safety, rather than on regulators to prove harm. 

How does the UK compare to the EU on EDC regulation? 

The EU has taken a more precautionary, hazard-based approach to chemical regulation.  For example, banning bisphenols in food contact materials, formally recognising EDCs as a hazard class, and are currently considering a universal ban on all PFAS. Since Brexit, the UK has introduced fewer equivalent protections and is increasingly diverging from EU standards.