Prof Eric Stemn is Head of Environmental and Safety Engineering Department at UMaT
The head of the Environmental and Safety Engineering Department at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Professor Eric Stemn, has cautioned the public against the use of plastic bags for storing and consuming hot beverages.
According to him, the practice could expose consumers to harmful chemicals over time.
Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV on April 14, 2026, he explained that the plastic bags are not designed to hold hot liquids and may release chemical substances when exposed to heat.
“If you look at the rubber bags, the plastic bags that we’ve been using for hot liquid, ideally they are not supposed to be used to store hot liquid,” he remarked.
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According to him, these materials are generally safer for cold liquids or solid items but become risky when used for hot drinks such as tea or cocoa.
“They can be used to store solids and then cold liquids. But if you use that to store a hot liquid, what happens is that the heat is going to dissolve some of the chemicals in the plastic,” he explained.
Professor Stemn further warned that once these substances are released, they can mix with the drink and be consumed unknowingly.
“These chemicals that are dissolved are now going to be in solution… in the hot liquid, either cocoa or tea, whatever hot liquid that you have inside,” he said.
Prof Stemn cautioned that although the quantity ingested may appear small, repeated exposure over time could lead to accumulation in the body, potentially resulting in long-term health effects.
“Invariably, if you consume that liquid, it means that you are consuming the chemicals that have been released into the hot liquid, into your body.
“The effect will not be a short-term effect. It may be a long-term effect that you will see maybe in 10 years, in 20 years, in 30 years,” he stated.
The expert therefore urged the public to avoid using plastic bags for hot beverages and instead adopt safer alternatives such as reusable containers.
“The advice is that let us all try to stay away from consuming liquid that is stored in these plastics, especially the hot ones.
“If you can have your own container that you can use whenever you are going to buy tea or anything that is hot in nature, I think that will be the best,” he added.
JKB/BAI
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