What can you do to Lower your Exposure to Microplastics?

I want to share some useful information that was published by a professor named Dr. Tracey Woodruff from the University of California in San Francisco regarding some easy and effective ways in which we can all reduce our exposure to microplastics.

We have covered the concern of microplastics getting into our environment in previous articles, but if you are interested in reading about specific examples of health issues that are increasingly being associated with constant exposure to microplastics, please refer to this article: “Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Human Digestive, Reproductive, and Respiratory Health: A Rapid Systematic Review.”

Some suggestions for reducing your exposure to microplastics include the following:

• Eat food prepared at home while trying to minimize processed and fast foods. 

• When eating out, look for restaurants that are trying to be more sustainable, especially in the use of non-plastic packaging (e.g., Wendy’s uses customer-facing packaging made from cardboard sourced from sustainably managed forests). 

• Look for condiments (e.g., peanut butter, ketchup, relish) that come in glass jars.  Minimize your overall consumption of foods packaged in plastic. 

• Pack your own meals when traveling.

• Microwave food in glass instead of plastic containers (e.g., transfer frozen vegetables to a non-plastic container prior to steaming or microwaving).

• Try not to freeze food in plastic zipper bags.

• Avoid purchasing any drinks packaged in plastic bottles.

• Minimize your use of any type of plastic straw.

• Resist the urge to use plastic produce bags when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Cook food in stainless steel or cast-iron instead of nonstick pots and pans.

• Eat as low in the food chain as possible (e.g., fruits and vegetables); larger animals and fish tend to have higher concentrations of harmful chemicals.

• Dust often and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Microplastics in the air tend to cling to dust, so it is important to remove dust and to use a vacuum that can filter very fine particles from the air.

• Use fragrance-free cleaning and personal care products.

Attempting to follow all of these suggestions can seem like a daunting task.  Try to address them slowly and one at a time, until they eventually work their way into your budget and become a necessary habit.

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Helpful Hint

Select one new sustainable action from above to work on. Move on to another action only after incorporating the current action into your habits and budget.