Plastic cutting boards are one of the softest options when it comes to choosing the perfect material, often preventing knife damage compared to its steel or wooden counterparts. However, there is actually a detrimental reason to avoid using them. The biggest issue with plastic cutting boards is the heavy prevalence of microplastics they release into food. A 2023 study published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal provided evidence that chopping food items on a polyethylene cutting board released a large amount of microplastics. The scientists running the experiment estimated that over 79.4 million polypropylene microplastics are released from chopping boards annually.
This study is also not the only proof of microplastic contamination via plastic cutting boards. Earlier studies have also shown microplastics appearing in meat and fish when prepared on plastic cutting boards (via Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, respectively).
Choosing a safer cutting board
While avoiding plastic cutting boards is easy, finding the right material is not simple. Every type of cutting board comes with a hefty list of pros and cons, but wood is a popular type due to its sturdiness and long lifespan. While it needs a bit of TLC, similar to methods of prolonging the life of a wooden spoon, it is a solid choice when it comes to a long-lasting cutting board. The USDA promotes bamboo cutting boards as a great option because of their similar characteristics to wooden ones, which are harder and preserve less moisture, making them a safer and durable choice.
Another option is the ceramic cutting board. These boards are non-porous, hard, and easy to clean. However, they are a lot less durable than a wooden or bamboo option because of their tendency to crack easily. Ceramic cutting boards can dull knives much quicker than other materials. However, many of the various cutting boards’ negative attributes are far less detrimental than the plastic version’s release of microplastics.
