Design Life-Cycle

Hai Huynh

Stephanie Lai, Brian Rodriguez

DES 40A

Professor Cogdell

The Raw Materials involved in the Lifecycle of a Teflon Pan

Due to the nonstick properties of Teflon pans they’ve become a popular choice in American kitchens, they make up 70% of the skillets sold in the United States (Crowley). Many homecooks prefer the use of nonstick cookware due to the ease of use compared to alternatives such as stainless steel, cast iron and high carbon steel. All of these materials can have similar nonstick qualities but there’s a higher learning curve with these alternatives. These Teflon alternatives need to be heated to a certain temperature to have nonstick quality. Additionally Cast iron and carbon steel cookware also need to build layers of seasoning on them before attaining nonstick qualities. Although all of these materials can have similar non-stick properties, the main selling point of teflon coated pans is the ease in which this state could be achieved, it’s also able to achieve this state without the use of fats unlike the alternatives. Consumers would assume that the numerous materials that are added during the manufacturing process of the Teflon pan would extend the lifespan of the product compared to other non-coated pans on the market but this is far from the truth, by analyzing the materials during all of stages of the life cycle of the product will allow us to reveal this.

The first step of the life cycle of every product starts with the extraction of the primary raw materials from the Earth. Teflon pans are mostly made of aluminum but aluminum is a secondary material that doesn’t naturally exist in the Earth. The main primary material that is required for aluminum production is bauxite, which are rocks that are rich in aluminum oxide (Bhutada). Australia, China and Guinea were the three largest producers of bauxite in the world Huynh 2 in 2021, these three countries alone produced approximately 281 million tons which accounts for 72% of the world’s bauxite that year (Bhutada). After the bauxite is mined it needs to be processed using the “Bayer process” to refine the bauxite into alumina, China was the leading country in alumina refinery in 2021, producing 74 million tons which was 53% of the world’s production (Bhutada). The final step in the process of aluminum production is converting the alumina into aluminum using molten cryolite and electricity to break the chemical bond between aluminum and oxygen atoms, this results in liquid aluminum which is then purified and cast (Bhutada). This process is referred to as smelting and China is also the largest aluminum smelter producer in the world producing 39 million tons which is 59% of the world’s production in 2021 (Bhutada).

Once the aluminum is produced and exported to the Teflon pan factory it is ready for processing. For Teflon pan production the aluminum used is a combination of 70% new material and 30% excess material that was trimmed from previous batches (How it's made - non-stick cookware). This combination of old and new aluminum is melted, cast into slabs, thinned out and punch-cut into the shape of the pan (How it's made - non-stick cookware).  After being cut into the desired shape, they’re treated with sodium hydroxide to dilate the pores of the aluminum so that the aluminum is able to bind with the coatings applied on its surfaces (How it's made - non-stick cookware). An enamel coating is then sprayed onto the exterior of the pan of a pan then cured in an oven (How it's made - non-stick cookware). After the curing process, the interior of the pan is sprayed with a coat of primer before the PTFE coating that gives the Teflon pan its unique properties (How it's made - non-stick cookware). Teflon is a brand name of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), Teflon’s PTFE liquid coating is sourced from the company Chemours (How are teflon™ nonstick coatings made?). The process of manufacturing PTFE begins with the synthesis of Calcium Fluoride, Sulphuric Acid and Chloroform to create the TFE monomer and it could be polymerized using different methods (PTFE materials, PTFE products manufacturers, exporters). One popular method is using a solution of ammonium persulphate, borax and water, once the monomer is in this solution it is agitated at 80 degrees celsius for an hour until it’s polymerized (PTFE materials, PTFE products manufacturers, exporters). After the application of the PTFE spray onto the aluminum surface it’s baked at a high temperature to ensure the coating sticks to the aluminum pan (How are teflon™ nonstick coatings made?). One relatively recent development in the synthesis of PTFE is their choice to exclude the addition perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) since the end of 2015 (Immunotoxicity associated with exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)). PFOA is no longer used in manufacturing overall due to the toxicity which can negatively affect hormonal balance, it also has a half-life of several years which is problematic due to it being commonly found in the water supplies and, “was detected in the blood of almost 95% of the US citizens” (Sajid and Ilyas). Although many other nonstick cookware companies used to include PFOA in their PTFE formulations, Teflon has claimed that their PTFE blend from Chemours has never contained this controversial ingredient (How are teflon™ nonstick coatings made?).

Besides aluminum and PTFE, another crucial component of Teflon pans are the thermoset plastics used for the handle of these pans. Although there are many kinds of thermoset plastics, the most important property they need to possess is their resistance to change due to high heats after they’ve been cast in their intended shape. It’s important that cookware feature thermoset plastic or other heat resistant materials due to the high heat conditions that are present while cooking. Bakelite is a common thermoset plastic that’s commonly used for cookware due its ability to to not conduct electricity, non-flammable, heat and chemical resistance (Nee). Bakelite is phenolformaldehyde resin which is a combination of phenol and formaldehyde, these chemicals are created using coal tar and methanol which is wood alcohol (Nee). The manufacturing process concludes with the thermoset plastic handle being attached to the teflon and enamel coated pan.

After manufacturing the pans are usually packaged for transportation and distribution. Pans are typically packaged with a cardstock sheet on the cooking surface with the brand name and the description of the pan such as its size described by the diameter from wall top to wall top. Besides providing a description of the product the cardstock sheet serves the purpose of protecting the cooking surface of the pan when stacked during transportation. This is especially important with nonstick cookware due to the PTFE coating’s ability to scratch and chip when in contact with metal. Although this information couldn’t be found, it’s assumed that during transportation these pans are also packaged in cardboard boxes with an impact dampening agent such as packing peanuts, styrofoam or crumpled paper to prevent any damage that could occur on their way to retailers.

Once consumers purchase the product from retailers they’re ready to use the pan out the box. Unlike other alternatives such as cast iron and high carbon steel cookware that require additional coats of oil seasoning to achieve non-stick properties, Teflon cookware possesses this quality as soon as consumers purchase the item. Although Teflon cookware boasts about its ease of usage straight out of the box, the PTFE coating that gives them this advantage is the same one which accounts for all of its shortcomings. The PTFE coating on nonstick cookware is quite sensitive which is why it’s recommended that only wooden and plastic cooking utensils be used to prevent the coating from scratching and chipping. Although more research has to be done about the potential health risks that could occur through consumption of PTFE flakes, the current literature isn’t able to provide solid evidence that it poses any health risks (Sajid and Ilyas). Although PTFE flakes aren’t proven to be huge health risks, other ways of improperly using nonstick cookware could be dangerous. Overheating a Teflon pan to over 500 degrees fahrenheit can break down the coating which can release toxic chemicals into the air, causing polymer flu in which the victim suffers from temporary flu-like symptoms (Coyle). When humans are exposed to Teflon overheated to extreme temperatures exceeding 730 degrees fahrenheit for at least 4 hours, humans have a risk of experiencing lung damage (Coyle). Despite the current lack of evidence suggesting health risks associated with PTFE flakes, it’s still not a great idea to use metal cooking utensils on your nonstick cookware as it dramatically decreases the lifespan of the product. As this coating scratches off it loses its non-stick properties, which is the reason they’re so popular, so once it's no longer non stick the product is no longer serving its purpose and its ready to be discarded.

Once the pan is no longer nonstick most consumers throw them out in the garbage instead of recycling them which could be difficult due to their PTFE coating. Although it’s quite difficult to recycle nonstick cookware it’s possible. There are multiple ways to strip the PTFE coating but a common method is using a two step process which carbonizes the coating before sandblasting using corundum (crystalline form of aluminum oxide)  abrasives (Guerrero-Vaca et al.). One issue with this method is that “The carbonisation stage requires rigorous and high costs to ensure adequate environmental control to minimize risks for operators”(Guerrero-Vaca et al.). Once the PTFE coating is removed the aluminum can be sent to a processing plant that would melt and recycle the aluminum. Due to this expensive process most nonstick cookware isn’t recycled because many don’t think it’s worth the effort due to the resources required to remove the PTFE coating.

Due to the PTFE coating that consumers have grown to love due to its convenience and ease of use, Teflon pans have been a popular choice of cookware in most households. Unfortunately due to this same coating that makes it so popular it’s also the reason for this product’s short lifespan. The PTFE coating also makes it difficult for the aluminum core of the pan to be recycled since the PTFE has to be stripped before recycling the aluminum. Unfortunately due to the difficult and expensive process of removing the coating, many deem it unworthy of being recycled so the majority of nonstick cookware ends up in landfills making the lifecycle quite linear. Although this may seem grim, researchers are currently working on alternative abrasive materials that allow the PTFE coating to be removed without the expensive process of carbonization (Guerrero-Vaca et al.). This will hopefully make recycling of nonstick cookware more practical and inexpensive in the future so that its aluminum could be repurposed instead of sitting in landfills.

Work Cited

Bhutada, Govind. “How Is Aluminum Made?” Elements by Visual Capitalist, 12 Aug. 2022, elements.visualcapitalist.com/how-is-aluminum-made/#:~:text=Each%20year%2C%20the%20world%20produces,is%20then%20converted%20into%20aluminum.

Coyle, Daisy. “Is Nonstick Cookware like Teflon Safe to Use?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 19 May 2023, www.healthline.com/nutrition/nonstick-cookware-safety#risks.

Crowley, Hannah. “Everything You Need to Know about Nonstick Skillets.” America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Illustrated, 10 Dec. 2020, www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/guides/7245-guide-to-nonstick-skillets.

Guerrero-Vaca, Guillermo, et al. “Experimental study for the stripping of PTFE coatings on Al-mg substrates using dry abrasive materials.” Materials, vol. 13, no. 3, 10 Feb. 2020, p. 799, https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13030799.

“How Are TeflonTM Nonstick Coatings Made?” Teflon, www.teflon.com/en/sales-support/how-its-made. Accessed 4 June 2024.

“How It’s Made - Non-Stick Cookware.” YouTube, 21 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=itqTL3knVeM&t=203s&ab_channel=PanosEgglezos.

“Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) or Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS).” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 4 Apr. 2024, ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/assessments/noncancer/completed/pfoa#:~:text=PFOS%20was%20phased%20out%20of,at%20the%20end%20of%202015.

Nee, Lufurus. “Why Are Cookware Handles Important?” Carote Official, Carote Official, 13 Apr. 2022, www.mycarote.com/blogs/news/why-are-cookware-handles-important.

“PTFE Materials, PTFE Products Manufacturers, Exporters.” Standard Fluoromers Pvt. Ltd., www.standard-ptfe.com/production-process-of-ptfe.php. Accessed 4 June 2024.

Sajid, Muhammad, and Muhammad Ilyas. “PTFE-coated non-stick cookware and toxicity concerns: A perspective.” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 24, no. 30, 14 Sept. 2017, pp. 23436–23440, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0095-y. 

Stephanie Lai

Hai Huynh, Brian Rodriguez

DES 40A

Professor Cogdell

Life Cycle Paper Embodied Energy in Teflon Pans

Teflon pans are a more convenient version of regular pans, but with a twist to create its unique use in the kitchen. This feature being their non-stick feature. The coating creates convenience for the user/consumer as it eliminates any worries of wasted food being stuck onto the pan, overall saving time during the time of cooking and cleaning up. Although, compared to non-coated pans, Teflon pans require more energy input in order to create its unique non-stick feature of the pan. Ultimately, this extra step of creating a non-stick coating adds up more energy required in the life-cycle of Teflon pans. Overall the main focus of this paper is to examine energy in all parts of the life-cycle of Teflon pans and explain how energy plays throughout each step.

The process of obtaining the raw materials of Teflon pans required in their production seems to be cost low amounts of energy as it seemingly only consists of aluminum (Daily Process HD) and polytetrafluoroethylene, also abbreviated as PTFE, but the breakdown of obtaining said materials adds up to a larger amount of energy. This is due to aluminum being secondary raw materials, which means that it’s made up of combined primary materials or extracted from other primary materials.

Aluminum does not come in a pure state as it’s always bonded with something else, making it a secondary raw material. It is manufactured by mining bauxite, the main raw material, using energy from heavy machinery for the task. The bauxite mineral goes through a grinder, either a Raymond mill or vertical mill, being powered by chemical energy through fossil fuels to become a more practical material to use. Afterwards, inanimate energy from steam heat is applied with caustic soda or sodium hydroxide solution pumping into pressure tanks. Chemical change occurs as the soda reacts with the aluminum that’s extracted out of bauxite, creating sodium aluminate. Chemical energy is used when sodium aluminate is pumped into large precipitators (powered by fossil fuels) to create aluminum crystals. Thermal energy is then used to heat the crystals in rotary kilns (over 960 celsius), leaving alumina/aluminum oxide to use (Manufacturing Basics of Aluminium).

The most important feature of Teflon pans is its coating, Polytetrafluoroethylene (also known as Teflon or PTFE). It is made up of fluorspar, hydrofluoric acid, chloroform, and water. Chloroform is obtained when chlorine reacts with organic compounds, another chemical change (Chloroform: general information). Fluorspar is mined and then grinded with machinery, using inanimate and electrical energy. Chemical energy is applied when mixing the mineral with  chemicals to obtain fluorspar only (Elimu). To turn the materials into PTFE, they get combined through a chemical reaction chamber that’s heated (1094-1652 fahrenheit), showcasing chemical to thermal energy. Thermal energy is applied to synthesize TFE out of chloroform, hydrofluoric acid, and fluorspar (How is PTFE Made?). After acquiring all the needed raw materials for production, the next step is the manufacturing process of Teflon pans.

Mass production of Teflon pans takes place in a factory, going through a variety of processes to get to its final production. Aluminum will first get casted in a furnace to create molten metal that’ll be poured into molds, using high temperatures from fossil fuels or electricity which causes a huge amount of chemical/electrical to thermal energy to be used. After creating the pan shape, the temperature is adjusted to cool the metal, using more energy in this shift. Electrical energy is constantly happening as a conveyor belt is used to move the pans from one station to another. The pans are transferred to a coating system where electrical to kinetic energy takes place as a rotating machine spins the pans around to get an even coating layer. The purpose of this process is to prevent oxidation and any rusting. Teflon pans in particular go through several spraying stations as the coating is what helps give it its nonstick feature, adding more energy to the process compared to other typical pans. Many inanimate energy is used with the several machinery helping to spray and stamp inside of the pan. In order to dry the sprayings, a machine system will conduct thermal energy with heat treatment that’ll also dry the surface. While there is huge energy consumption for the several sprayings for Teflon pans, this step will help make the pan smooth, ensuring that food won’t stick to the pan. Electrical to mechanical energy through spraying machines is applied to spray the printing in the pans. Animate energy from humans is used to help with the outer surface of the pan by manually scraping it (with help with a rotating machine) and aligning a covering on the bottom before moving it to a machine that’ll spray paint various colors onto the pan. Punching machines with compressed strings use mechanical energy to press holes into the pan to screw in the handles with the help of human power. Packaging is manually done with human power as well, ensuring the quality to the end. Once Teflon pans are finished being produced and packaged from manufacturing, they are then transported to stores in order to reach consumers (Daily Process HD).

Transportation from manufacturers to stores are done so in order to create accessibility for potential customers during in-person shopping. After manufacturing, Teflon pans are packaged together in boxes and shipped by trucks (Daily Process HD). I couldn’t find much information about the transportation of Teflon pans specifically, but it’s likely that after manufacturing, like most products if the manufacturer is far or overseas, typically ships or planes are used to assist in transporting. These transportation methods consume fossil fuels, turning them into chemical energy. When in motion to its desired location of store, chemical energy is transmitted to mechanical energy. The further the manufacturer is from stores, the more energy that’s consumed. However, energy is saved when it comes to the PTFE coating as transportation is a risk due to its high flammability. Therefore, materials are transported to the manufacturing site directly to be performed (How is PTFE Made?). Once the product is transported to stores, it’s available for purchase for customers.

Pans are a common kitchen appliance found in most homes. Teflon pans work similarly as other pans by first heating up the bottom of the pan through the heat from a stove. Stoves are powered by gas or electricity, chemical energy/electrical which transmits to thermal energy. The pan will absorb the thermal energy. The pattern on the pan helps distribute heat more evenly and efficiently during cooking (Daily Process HD). Teflon pans are able to reduce the use of oil with its non-stick feature. This is through PTFE having strong cohesive features, but no adhesive (Woodford). When it comes to Teflon pans and its coating, it’s advised to avoid using high heat and acidic foods as they can wear down the coating (Food Network Kitchen). This would require longer cooking times, which can lead to using up more energy from having the stove be on longer.

The layer of PTFE will eventually start to wear off with a life expectancy of five to seven years, an improvement from its previous two to three years life span. Despite this, Teflon pans still aren’t comparable with other pans when it comes to being long lasting, often needing to be replaced often due to the coating wearing off or losing its non-stick ability (Crowley). This would mean an individual would have to continue repurchasing a Teflon pans to replace their old one, pushing more manufacturing to meet up to their demands. This would keep the cycle going, consuming more energy in compensation for its short life span. To maintain Teflon pans, it’s advised to avoid abrasive sponges that’ll scrape the coating, and to rather soak the pan in warm soapy water for any stubborn residues (Bennett). Even with care and maintenance, eventually it’ll be time to dispose of the pan.

When disposing of Teflon pans, there are donation locations that accept pans that are gently used, clean, and in good usable condition, which could be reused by others. Although due to the complicated nature of the PTFE coating, the pan cannot easily be recycled without removing the coating (Recycle Ann Arbor). I couldn’t find much on the disposing of Teflon pans specifically but it can be assumed that most Teflon pans will pile up in landfills. 66 million pans were found to have wound up in the New Zealand landfill over the course of 50 years (Focus). Landfills consume a bunch of electrical energy and thermal energy to power combustion machines, gas turbines, and microturbines (Cross).

Ultimately, despite the convenience Teflon pans seem to create during the cooking process, the coating itself creates more complications during the life cycle with its huge energy consumption. A lot of energy is used to acquire all its many materials for the pan and coating alone. And due to its short life span, manufacturers will continue to create more pans to meet customer’s demands, meaning more chemical to thermal energy will continue to be consumed. Teflon pans may be appealing, but harms the environment in the end.

Works Cited

BA Systems. “The Manufacturing Basics of Aluminium.” BA Systems, www.basystems.co.uk/blog/aluminium-manufacturing-basics/#:~:text=Bauxite%20is%20used%20as%20the,metres%20below%20the%20ground%20level.

Bennett, Jessica. “How to Clean Nonstick Pans So They Last for Years.” Better Homes & Gardens, 14 October 2022, www.bhg.com/homekeeping/house-cleaning/tips/tips-for-using-nonstick-pans/.

Cross, John-Michael. “Fact Sheet | Landfill Methane.” Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 26 April 2013, www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-landfill-methane#:~:text=Typically%2C%20one%20million%20tons%20of,%2C%20gas%20turbines%2C%20and%20microturbines.

Crowley, Hannah. “How Often Should I Replace My Nonstick Pan?” America's Test Kitchen, 16 August 2023, www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/5117-how-often-should-i-replace-my-nonstick-pan.

Daily Process HD. “Incredible Mass Production Process of non-stick pan in Factory - Outstanding Quality.” YouTube, 10 August 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJeEhb3Ei1s.

Elimu. “Mining.” Elimu, learn.e-limu.org/topic/view/?t=934&c=48#:~:text=Fluorspar%20is%20the%20second%20most,and%20crushed%20using%20large%20grinders.

Focus. “More Than A Million Non-Stick Pans Go To Landfill Every Year.” Focus Magazine, 14 April 2021, focusmagazine.co.nz/more-than-a-million-non-stick-pans-go-to-landfill-every-year/.

Food Network Kitchen. “When to Use Nonstick and Stainless Pans in the Kitchen.” Food Network, 11 May 2021, www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/help-around-the-kitchen/when-to-use-nonstick-or-stainless-steel-pans.

Forestry and Land Scotland. “How iron is made.” Forestry and Land, forestryandland.gov.scot/learn/heritage/visit-heritage-sites/wilsontown/how-iron-is-made.

Orion Industries. “How is PTFE (Teflon®) Made?” Orion Industries, 25 August 2016, orioncoat.com/blog/how-is-ptfe-Teflon-made/#:~:text=How%20Are%20PTFE%20Coatings%20Made,and%20a%20series%20of%20reactions.

Public Health England. “Chloroform: general information.” GOV UK, www.gov.uk/government/publications/chloroform-properties-incident-management-and-toxicology/chloroform-general-information.

Recycle Ann Arbor. “What To Do With Non-Stick Cookware.” Recycle Ann Arbor, www.recycleannarbor.org/a-z-recycling-guide/non-stick-cookware#:~:text=If%20the%20non%2Dstick%20(PTFE,Off%20Station%20or%20Recovery%20Yard.

Woodford, Chris. “Nonstick pans.” Explainthatstuff, 27 October 2022, www.explainthatstuff.com/nonstickpans.html#non-stick.

Brian Rodriguez-Torres

Professor Cogdell

Energy, Materials & Design Across Time

June 6 2024

Waste Analysis of Non-stick Cookware

A major convenience in the kitchen for cooks of all skill level, non-stick cookware makes for an easier cooking experience that leads to less-clean up. This is made possible by a special coating, known commonly in the market as “Teflon” surfaces, which was a prevalent brand name for non-stick coatings. Teflon pans are appealing to people who want to save time and energy while cooking because the non-stick coating prevents from food from sticking to the bottom of the pan. There’s also a variety of shapes, sizes, brands, and colors, making them an attractive choice to consumers. Non-stick cookware is abundant, accessible, and very common in households – favored for its resistance to heat and grease. Non-stick pans are (typically) comprised of an aluminum core treated with a polytetrafluoroethylene coating, which is painted then riveted to a metal candle and plastic grip. The coating has non-stick properties from the polymer to carbon bond, which resists heat and prevents reaction from surfaces. Coated cookware has been marketed to consumers since the 1960s, originally utilizing the now phased out PFOAs, a chemical compound used to produce the coating. These are part of larger group of manufactured chemicals known to be “forever-lasting” in the environment because they don’t typically break down organically. This has caused them to be found in unsafe levels in water, soil, animals, and estimated that trace amounts are found in an 97% of all humans. Non-stick pans experience shorter life-spans compared to non-coated cookware as the coating becomes damaged and undesirable for cooking. This in-turn, creates more waste by-products because the treated pans are both more difficult to manufacture and will be disposed of sooner. The pans can also leech by-products from the coating. PFAs contaminate the environment and pose health risks to people and wildlife.

Non-stick pans are generally made for residential use, with a shorter lifespan compared to traditional pans, which could range from stainless steel, aluminum, cast-iron, and copper. Traditionally, cookware is typically made up of one material (often an alloy), among those, iron was prevalently used in history and still a favored choice by many today. These non-coated materials give the cookware a longer lifespan because of the simplistic design. Modern non-stick coating pans are capable of lasting 5-7 years with normal wear and tear, while a traditional style cooking surface can last decades, even presumably a lifetime.

The production of non-stick coating is a highly industrial process that requires significant energy in manufacturing and logistics. The manufacturing process for non-stick cookware could begin with smelting down 30% recycled aluminum scraps and 70% pure aluminum to form a slab of aluminum. Smelting required high temperature, also requiring heavy equipment to process the base metal. The block of aluminum is cleaned then rolled into flattened sheet. A mold is pressed onto the sheets to form a circle, then a mold pressed to the contour of the pan. The pans are washed, then, sprayed with a heat-resistant paint. Branding and pan information is screen-printed onto the bottom surface of the pan. Once cured, the cooking surface is sprayed with a primer to adhere 2 layers of PFTE coating. This is polymer form of PFAS, a increasingly extensively documented pollutant in the environment A plastic grip metal handle is riveted to the pan. The by-products of manufacturing lead to excessive waste. Predominantly, potential off-gases that come as a result of spraying polymer based paints and applying PFTE coating itself. How do factories contain the contamination of PFTE production waste, who is responsible for monitoring waste levels in localities? Consumers report the coating is often damaged to an undesirable state within 2 years. This comes from normal wear and tear such as contact with cooking utensils, and how the pans are washed. Because the pans are marketed towards residential use, it’s difficult to estimate how the coating degrades over time. Due to little research, it’s unclear if the coating will break away into food or leach into the water drain. This raises concern for pollution and containment of non-stick coating waste.

The primary material for non-stick cookware is aluminum, a high demand material in a range of modern industries, including green energy and travel because the material is both durable and lightweight. Aluminum is energy intensive to refine and produces damaging by-products. In the production of cookware, a mixture 70% pure aluminum and 30% recycled aluminum is used. Raw aluminum is extracted from bauxite, first mined then transported via boat for refining. The bauxite is loaded on to a train where its transported for processing, creating a pre-cursor known as alumina. This is then transported by rail again to a reduction site where the alumina undergoes electrolysis where an electrical current breaks apart molecular bonds. Four to five tons of bauxite is breaks down in to two tons of alumina, which is used to make one ton of aluminum. In a Princeton analysis of Aluminum extraction, one ton of aluminum production creates of 10 tons of waste rock and 3 tons of a toxic substance known as “red mud”, which “contains toxic and radioactive substances”. One facility can produce upwards of 200,000-400,000 tons of aluminum a year, generating up 4 million tons of waste rock and 1.2 million tons of toxic red mud. Toxic waste substances are stored in huge open ponds that are know to pollute wildlife and pose health hazards as its reported that “Leaks and dam breaks are a frequent occurrence, often burying whole villages under the highly corrosive sludge. Toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury transform living rivers into toxic dead zones. However, even without major accidents, environmental toxins are released into the air, soil and water:..”(Rainforest Rescue), as huge infrastructure is needed to refine aluminum and store its byproducts. The process increases toxicity in wildlife surrounding aluminum extraction sites as in “… animals, aluminium seems to have its primary effect on enzyme systems important for the uptake of nutrients. Aluminium can accumulate in plants. Aluminium contaminated invertebrates and plants might thus be a link for aluminium to enter into terrestrial food chains” (Rousseland, Eldhuset, Staurnes). Smelting alumina powder in aluminum produces produces greenhouse gas by-products. Data in from U.S. suggests over 6 smelters, 16 metric tons of carbon-monoxide was released into the atmosphere, Most of these emissions are due to the supply of energy needed for the process, accounting for 70% the emission cost, while 30% of the emission cost is attributed to off-gases as a result of converting alumina into aluminum. Another harmful pollutant attributed to aluminum smelting are particulates of carbonyl sulfide and polycyclic material. (Environmental Integrity). In addition, smelting creates mercury and fluoride emissions. Wastewater containing heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium leeches into the environment as it’s stored and discarded. Finally, smelting releases a rock-like substance containing fluoride and arsenic as a result of smelting, this amounts to 1 ton of waste for every 40 tons of aluminum.

Following the manufacture of the pan, comes shipping and packaging. Depending on circumstance, the pans are typically made South or South Asian, a small amount is made in the U.S. and other countries. Then, the’ Train and boat travel generate emissions, while production methods may use extensive power. This includes heavy machinery such as cranes, lifts, furnaces, and processes such as electrolysis.

At the point of writing, research is still determined to be inconclusive, but PFAS are currently linked to elevated risk of disease, namely testicular cancer, liver, increased cholesterol, even linked to decreasing the response of vaccines. The pans cannot safely be recycled  or restored without removing the non-stick coating, this leads to the pan often ending up in a landfill.The effect of non-stick pan waste on landfill is not measured, however due to the forever-lasting nature of the PFTE coating, they could potentially contaminate the soil and affect water sources. When discarded, the pans are picked up in garbage trucks and transported to local landfill where parcels of garbage are then shipped back overseas. Without the coating being removed, the pans cannot be safely recycled, as the chemicals used in the PFTE coating cannot be identified. Some could be hazardous while others just unidentifiable. This means the aluminum in the pan is difficult to recycle, and poses the challenge of disposing of PFTE material. Adding in chemicals and processes creates a challenge down the road when it comes to time to discard the degraded product. A reported challenge in the non-stick cookware market is that manufacturers get away with only disclosing what is not being used in the non-stick coating, leaving the mystery of what’s actually used to make up the PFTE coating. PFAS are used to make the PFTE coating, a polymer based material, it’s possible that PFAS contaminate the environment through manufacture, disposal/recycle, and even through normal wear and tear. Once PFAS contaminates wildlife, it becomes very difficult to collect, and dispose of.

The life-cycle of a pan begins with sourcing raw and recycled aluminum which transported to the manufacturer, typically in southeast Asia. Once packaged, they’re transported around the world where they’re kept up to 5-7 years. Once discarded, they’re usually shipped back to Southeast Asia by boat. The cycle has an effect on overseas shipping due to a shorter life-span, though not too significant in volume or mass, the PFTE coating can break down and pollute wildlife. Non-stick cookware has a high  disposability factor, trending along side single use plastics. Non-stick cookware can be hazardous in landfills, they’re discarded with the materials used in the coating are a mystery. Train and boat travel generate emissions, while production methods may use extensive power for processes such as electrolysis. In addition to the use heavy machinery in manufacturing and refining that often rely on fossil fuels such as cranes, lifts, and furnaces. The cycle of a non-stick cooking surface is heavily cyclical, raw materials and waste is circulated many times, generating excess waste that can be attributed to a short life cycle.

Work Cited

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“Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc#:~:text=One%20report%20by%20the%20Centers,blood%20of%2097%25%20of%20Americans. Accessed 1 June 2024. 

Rosseland, B O et al. “Environmental effects of aluminium.” Environmental geochemistry and health vol. 12,1-2 (1990): 17-27. doi:10.1007/BF01734045 Accessed 1 June 2024.

The Aluminum Paradox:, environmentalintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Aluminum-Paradox-Report-Final-09.27.23.pdf. Accessed 5 June 2024. 

TeflonTM Nonstick Cookware Myths and FAQ | TeflonTM Cookware, www.teflon.com/en/consumers/teflon-coatings-cookware-bakeware/safety/myths. Accessed 3 May 2024.

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