Photo courtesy of: EarthDay.org

How Can I Reduce Microplastics in My Body?

1. Never microwave food in plastic containers (even if it says it’s microwave-safe). Microwave food in glass instead.

2. Switch to glass or stainless-steel reusable water bottles, rather than plastic reusable bottles (even if they are BPA free).

3. Most drinking water in the US is safe unless you have lead pipes. If you are concerned about water quality, drink filtered tap water instead of buying plastic water bottles.

4. Replace your plastic food storage containers with glass ones. You can reuse glass jars from pasta sauce or jelly, so you don’t have to buy anything new.

5. Use loose-leaf tea instead of tea bags, as many tea bags are made from plastic.

6. Don’t use Teflon cookware, use stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel or ceramic instead.

7. Switch to wooden or metal cooking utensils, instead of plastic. Black plastic is the most problematic, as it is often made from recycled electronic waste.

8. Use wood or bamboo cutting boards, instead of plastic cutting boards.

9. Replace plastic kettles with stainless steel or glass kettles.

10. Replace plastic blenders with glass blenders.

11. Replace plastic sponges with wooden brushes, Swedish dishcloths, or scrubbers made from natural materials.

12. If your food comes in plastic packaging you can decrease migration of chemicals into food by: never heating food in plastic, avoiding long contact times of food in plastic containers, avoiding plastic packaging which comes in small portion sizes and avoiding buying foods high in fat in plastic containers.

13. Buy clothing, carpets, bedding and furniture made from natural fabrics instead of synthetic fabrics (or better yet thrift instead of buying new).

14. Vacuum more often, using a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

15. Eat as much fresh food as possible - limit processed foods wrapped in plastic.

16. For babies: Prepare formula in a glass bottle and let it cool before transferring to a plastic bottle - consider switching to glass or silicone baby bottles.

For More Information About the Issues Surrounding Plastics and Ways to Get Involved Contact the Nationwide Group Beyond Plastics at:
www.beyondplastics.org

Sources: New York Times 6/7/24, Beyond Plastics, Take 3 for the Sea 2024, P-SNAP, Scientific American 2025