Cool article, glad that someone is accumulating this sort of stuff.
I work in the plastics industry and agree with a lot of your recommendations. See below for a few thoughts I had while reading.
I would add the distinction between products that pose a risk for ingested microplastics and products that pose a risk for ingested "leachables". Your cutting board example is a great example for a product which probably results in the user ingesting small pieces of plastics, aka microplastics. Your example of microwaving black take-out food containers is a great example of a product which probably leaches chemicals into your food (plasticizers, fillers, colorants, stabilizers, FR additives, etc).
Silicone is not as pure and safe of a material as you may be led to believe. It is often loaded up with fillers and other leachables, same as plastics are. It is food-grade, yes, but so are all of the plastic products you warn against in your article. This goes double for sketchy silicone parts sold from drop-shippers on Amazon-- it is very possible they are actually selling non-food-grade silicone which uses an industrial catalyst system (peroxide cure system) which is prone to leaving leachable impurities in the final product. No one is checking these goods when they come into our ports. I have specific expertise in silicone manufacturing and it certainly is an amazing material but is not this magic fix-all for the kitchen that some people assume it is. Non-silicone rubbers are typically even more sketchy than conventional plastics.
Metal parts are also not as pure and safe as you may think either. I am less familiar with these processes but a lot of food-contact metal components are actually coated or painted with a polymer material. Notably, aluminum soda cans have an epoxy coating throughout the inside. If you have a copper part that is somehow holding its nice reddish-gold sheen over time-- it is probably coated with a polymer. Like silicone, a metal component is not necessarily safer-as-a-rule. Stainless steel is a possible exception; I've never heard of a coating being applied to SS.
Hey PJ, thanks for sharing your expertise! I would be fascinated to know how you approach plastics in your home as an industry insider. Are there any silicone companies you rec? I like Stasher because it at least reduces my dependence on single-use Ziploc bags... If you ever write about it, please share the link here!
Stasher looks fine to me. They use a platinum catalyst system to cure the silicone which is what you'd want to see. A US manufacturer would be safer but I'm not sure if any US MFGs participate in this market. Personally, I don't use reusable bags mostly because I like ziplocs too much, hah.
In general, I don't take microplastics all that seriously but I probably will pay more attention when my wife and I have kids. Regarding how I approach plastics in my home, here are some general thoughts/opinions I have:
• If any amount of your wardrobe is made up of synthetic textiles, your dryer is probably the worst/grossest microplastics generator in your home. Dryer lint is like semi-airborne pure microplastics.
• I think non-stick kitchenware/cookware is gross. All kinds, though for different reasons.
• I think recycled plastics and "biodegradable" plastics are gross.
• I generally never use plastic items in a way they were not designed to be used or expose them to conditions which the product designer would not expect. Sunlight, rapid heat cycling, or exposure to harsh chemicals should be avoided.
• Glass and stainless steel are my favorite kitchen materials.
There are so many nasty chemical exposures just about everywhere when you have the right background to see it. For people who feel overwhelmed by the toxic pits that are our homes-- you have to remind yourself that it is better today than it was hundreds of years ago. I'll take the microplastics and trace amounts of endocrine disrupters over the leaded-gasoline pollution, cholera, carbon monoxide from a defective fireplace flue, clothes moths (or mothball vapors), asbestos, etc.
Thank you for all your excellent research/detective work finding all these alternatives and providing all the links. This post surely took some time and effort!
It is disheartening, though, the reality that no matter how much we try to, let’s say, replace all the things, like you said, there’s still all the things ‘out there’s that we can’t control. And as for the dosing, I’d figure at 58, my body is replete with microplastics and no swap over to loose tea or otherwise will turn the tide on whatever’s already at play in me. Then I think of my 22 year old and can see in my mind the many meals he ate on IKEA plastic dishes or juices he drank from plastic bottles or every plastic toothbrush he’s stuck into his mouth…
It seems it always comes down to the individual to discover and try to protect themselves. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if industry and government had listened to the scientists over the years and protected all of us, not just the ones who did their own research and had the money to do what little they can about it. It’s like we’re all really just doomed becuz it is bigger than all of us.
Have we forgotten TUPPERWARE? Mom's put that crap in the microwave, freezer, fridge until one had to PLEADE to replace the greasy red sauce stained containers...
Mamma, at 70 we are all just as loaded up as the next person....
Margarine is like 1 degrees over from plastic...
How much GIANT COUNTRY CROCK Tubs have we all used and stored our home cooked soups and such in, placed in the microwave to reheat and removed the bendy Tub ?! 🤣😵💫🤣
Ps. I recommend loose leaf tea from the Good Store (good.store). They have sample packets which make it easy to try a few. It’s truly the best tea I’ve ever tasted.
Just go ahead and throw the bamboo cutting boards in the dishwasher. Will they split eventually? Yes. But they last close to a year for me and at $15 a set…
I’ve just recently tried Attitude, a Canadian company, for a majority of personal care needs. I like their solid face cleanser and unscented deodorant (both come in cardboard containers!) They also have some refillable options that I haven’t tried yet.
Have you tried Bite toothpaste? It comes with a glass bottle on the first order as they are tablets, and then you buy refills in paper packaging - no plastic. It took a while to get used to it, and I have to say if I am traveling I sometimes use what folks have as I like a good lather and the Bites don't! The only issue I have with them, is that the bottle they send isn't quite large enough to contain the full refill packet! A minor flaw we deal with!
I have been thinking about filtered water so thank you for sharing this!
I have been waiting on the glass Aeropress since it was teased awhile back; thanks for the tip! 🤩 Though luckily there are plenty of great (and less expensive) existing pour-over coffee brewers that use minimal or no plastic, especially from the likes of Hario 🤓☕️
Just to note, there are plenty of tea companies that use compostable tea bags, which by definition will not contain plastic, for those times when you just don’t have the time/energy/ability to fiddle with loose leaf tea! Equal Exchange and Traditional Medicinals are two personal favorites. 🍵♻️🌱
A question: Should we be concerned that the some of these microplastic filters and pitchers are themselves made out of plastic?
Thanks for these great tips, Angela! Sadly, even compostable/silk/paper teabags use a polyethylene sealant to stop the tea from falling out of the bags.
It is concerning that there are plastic parts in most of the microplastic filters! The Boroux and Walter use minimal plastic, as it's a charcoal filter and gravity system.
That is so disheartening re: tea bag sealant, but thanks for sharing that information. I did look into Traditional Medicinal’s tea bag materials, and they say that their bags are not heat sealed, which I take to mean does not use sealant, but I could be mistaken. I wish making healthy and planet-friendly choices didn’t require consumers to be detectives 😮💨
My favorite skincare company that I’ve exclusively bought my facial products
and deodorant from for a decade and has a commitment to using as minimal plastic as possible and reducing waste (they offer refills and take back empties) is Meow Meow Tweet. I love that they also offer customer education on topics like greenwashing!
Just to note, while Dr. Tung’s uses plastic-free packaging, their floss is still made out of plastic. I’ve recently started using ME Mother Earth’s bamboo charcoal floss and absolutely love it; it actually seems too good to be true that it’s fully compostable! They offer various plastic-free floss containers that can be refilled, too. 🤓🦷
Very interested in this bamboo floss! Back in 2017, Dr Tung's posted this: "The so-called ‘bamboo floss’ sold on the market is actually polyester infused with bamboo fibers, because bamboo alone is not strong enough. Most resellers are not aware of this but any testing lab can show this." But do we think that is outdated now? Or does the charcoal make it stronger??
I’m an elder millennial. I find myself contemplating buying a microplastic water filter to protect my kid, while remembering drinking water from the plastic hose during my own childhood summers. Anyone else remember that first warm drink if you didn’t let the water run enough? I might be half plastic molecules 😬🤣
My old-school Taiwanese friends drink loose leaf green and oolong tea by simply putting the leaves in the bottom of the mug and pouring water over them. They just let the leaves sit there the whole time they're drinking and, if you use the right temperature water it doesn't get bitter and it's fun to watch them open. That makes loose leaf more convenient.
Thanks for the motivation. I have quartz counter tops which I love, love, love but the use thereof is being discontinued because manufacture and customization is deadly for the workers. So I am guessing that is true of other quartz products as well.
Cool article, glad that someone is accumulating this sort of stuff.
I work in the plastics industry and agree with a lot of your recommendations. See below for a few thoughts I had while reading.
I would add the distinction between products that pose a risk for ingested microplastics and products that pose a risk for ingested "leachables". Your cutting board example is a great example for a product which probably results in the user ingesting small pieces of plastics, aka microplastics. Your example of microwaving black take-out food containers is a great example of a product which probably leaches chemicals into your food (plasticizers, fillers, colorants, stabilizers, FR additives, etc).
Silicone is not as pure and safe of a material as you may be led to believe. It is often loaded up with fillers and other leachables, same as plastics are. It is food-grade, yes, but so are all of the plastic products you warn against in your article. This goes double for sketchy silicone parts sold from drop-shippers on Amazon-- it is very possible they are actually selling non-food-grade silicone which uses an industrial catalyst system (peroxide cure system) which is prone to leaving leachable impurities in the final product. No one is checking these goods when they come into our ports. I have specific expertise in silicone manufacturing and it certainly is an amazing material but is not this magic fix-all for the kitchen that some people assume it is. Non-silicone rubbers are typically even more sketchy than conventional plastics.
Metal parts are also not as pure and safe as you may think either. I am less familiar with these processes but a lot of food-contact metal components are actually coated or painted with a polymer material. Notably, aluminum soda cans have an epoxy coating throughout the inside. If you have a copper part that is somehow holding its nice reddish-gold sheen over time-- it is probably coated with a polymer. Like silicone, a metal component is not necessarily safer-as-a-rule. Stainless steel is a possible exception; I've never heard of a coating being applied to SS.
Hey PJ, thanks for sharing your expertise! I would be fascinated to know how you approach plastics in your home as an industry insider. Are there any silicone companies you rec? I like Stasher because it at least reduces my dependence on single-use Ziploc bags... If you ever write about it, please share the link here!
Stasher looks fine to me. They use a platinum catalyst system to cure the silicone which is what you'd want to see. A US manufacturer would be safer but I'm not sure if any US MFGs participate in this market. Personally, I don't use reusable bags mostly because I like ziplocs too much, hah.
In general, I don't take microplastics all that seriously but I probably will pay more attention when my wife and I have kids. Regarding how I approach plastics in my home, here are some general thoughts/opinions I have:
• If any amount of your wardrobe is made up of synthetic textiles, your dryer is probably the worst/grossest microplastics generator in your home. Dryer lint is like semi-airborne pure microplastics.
• I think non-stick kitchenware/cookware is gross. All kinds, though for different reasons.
• I think recycled plastics and "biodegradable" plastics are gross.
• I generally never use plastic items in a way they were not designed to be used or expose them to conditions which the product designer would not expect. Sunlight, rapid heat cycling, or exposure to harsh chemicals should be avoided.
• Glass and stainless steel are my favorite kitchen materials.
There are so many nasty chemical exposures just about everywhere when you have the right background to see it. For people who feel overwhelmed by the toxic pits that are our homes-- you have to remind yourself that it is better today than it was hundreds of years ago. I'll take the microplastics and trace amounts of endocrine disrupters over the leaded-gasoline pollution, cholera, carbon monoxide from a defective fireplace flue, clothes moths (or mothball vapors), asbestos, etc.
Thank you!! We need to hear more from the scientists!
Thank you for all your excellent research/detective work finding all these alternatives and providing all the links. This post surely took some time and effort!
It is disheartening, though, the reality that no matter how much we try to, let’s say, replace all the things, like you said, there’s still all the things ‘out there’s that we can’t control. And as for the dosing, I’d figure at 58, my body is replete with microplastics and no swap over to loose tea or otherwise will turn the tide on whatever’s already at play in me. Then I think of my 22 year old and can see in my mind the many meals he ate on IKEA plastic dishes or juices he drank from plastic bottles or every plastic toothbrush he’s stuck into his mouth…
It seems it always comes down to the individual to discover and try to protect themselves. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if industry and government had listened to the scientists over the years and protected all of us, not just the ones who did their own research and had the money to do what little they can about it. It’s like we’re all really just doomed becuz it is bigger than all of us.
1960's ...
"plastic's M'Boy....Plastics...."
Have we forgotten TUPPERWARE? Mom's put that crap in the microwave, freezer, fridge until one had to PLEADE to replace the greasy red sauce stained containers...
Mamma, at 70 we are all just as loaded up as the next person....
Margarine is like 1 degrees over from plastic...
How much GIANT COUNTRY CROCK Tubs have we all used and stored our home cooked soups and such in, placed in the microwave to reheat and removed the bendy Tub ?! 🤣😵💫🤣
Thank you for these!
Ps. I recommend loose leaf tea from the Good Store (good.store). They have sample packets which make it easy to try a few. It’s truly the best tea I’ve ever tasted.
Sample packets are exactly what I need! Thanks for the rec.
Just go ahead and throw the bamboo cutting boards in the dishwasher. Will they split eventually? Yes. But they last close to a year for me and at $15 a set…
I’ve just recently tried Attitude, a Canadian company, for a majority of personal care needs. I like their solid face cleanser and unscented deodorant (both come in cardboard containers!) They also have some refillable options that I haven’t tried yet.
Have you tried Bite toothpaste? It comes with a glass bottle on the first order as they are tablets, and then you buy refills in paper packaging - no plastic. It took a while to get used to it, and I have to say if I am traveling I sometimes use what folks have as I like a good lather and the Bites don't! The only issue I have with them, is that the bottle they send isn't quite large enough to contain the full refill packet! A minor flaw we deal with!
I have been thinking about filtered water so thank you for sharing this!
I haven't, but it was also recommended by another reader! I'm a little scared of learning something new but now encouraged to try it.
Huppy toothpaste tabs are an awesome alternative to traditional toothpaste! My teeth feel way cleaner too.
I have been waiting on the glass Aeropress since it was teased awhile back; thanks for the tip! 🤩 Though luckily there are plenty of great (and less expensive) existing pour-over coffee brewers that use minimal or no plastic, especially from the likes of Hario 🤓☕️
Just to note, there are plenty of tea companies that use compostable tea bags, which by definition will not contain plastic, for those times when you just don’t have the time/energy/ability to fiddle with loose leaf tea! Equal Exchange and Traditional Medicinals are two personal favorites. 🍵♻️🌱
A question: Should we be concerned that the some of these microplastic filters and pitchers are themselves made out of plastic?
Thanks for these great tips, Angela! Sadly, even compostable/silk/paper teabags use a polyethylene sealant to stop the tea from falling out of the bags.
It is concerning that there are plastic parts in most of the microplastic filters! The Boroux and Walter use minimal plastic, as it's a charcoal filter and gravity system.
That is so disheartening re: tea bag sealant, but thanks for sharing that information. I did look into Traditional Medicinal’s tea bag materials, and they say that their bags are not heat sealed, which I take to mean does not use sealant, but I could be mistaken. I wish making healthy and planet-friendly choices didn’t require consumers to be detectives 😮💨
My favorite skincare company that I’ve exclusively bought my facial products
and deodorant from for a decade and has a commitment to using as minimal plastic as possible and reducing waste (they offer refills and take back empties) is Meow Meow Tweet. I love that they also offer customer education on topics like greenwashing!
Just to note, while Dr. Tung’s uses plastic-free packaging, their floss is still made out of plastic. I’ve recently started using ME Mother Earth’s bamboo charcoal floss and absolutely love it; it actually seems too good to be true that it’s fully compostable! They offer various plastic-free floss containers that can be refilled, too. 🤓🦷
Wow! I'm going to have to check out this charcoal floss!
Very interested in this bamboo floss! Back in 2017, Dr Tung's posted this: "The so-called ‘bamboo floss’ sold on the market is actually polyester infused with bamboo fibers, because bamboo alone is not strong enough. Most resellers are not aware of this but any testing lab can show this." But do we think that is outdated now? Or does the charcoal make it stronger??
I’m an elder millennial. I find myself contemplating buying a microplastic water filter to protect my kid, while remembering drinking water from the plastic hose during my own childhood summers. Anyone else remember that first warm drink if you didn’t let the water run enough? I might be half plastic molecules 😬🤣
Very helpful! Thank you
I buy most of my tea from Teadog.com. They have a big selection of teas with several being loose leaf.
Favorite flavors you recommend?
My favorite is Irish Breakfast but they have English tea, Assam, Darjeeling, Rooibos, Lapsang Souchong and many more. Assam is my second favorite.
Physical graffitea! A store in the east village that also ships is the best for loose leaf tea :)
Thank you for this article! Loose leaf tea recommendation: Light of Day teas. Organic and biodynamic and delicious!
Check out Suri sustainable electric toothbrushes with recycled plant-based replacement heads.
Re: tea
My old-school Taiwanese friends drink loose leaf green and oolong tea by simply putting the leaves in the bottom of the mug and pouring water over them. They just let the leaves sit there the whole time they're drinking and, if you use the right temperature water it doesn't get bitter and it's fun to watch them open. That makes loose leaf more convenient.
This is the way. I do like the beautiful ones with the big tea leaves! When I opened up my teabags it's like dust lol
Thanks for the motivation. I have quartz counter tops which I love, love, love but the use thereof is being discontinued because manufacture and customization is deadly for the workers. So I am guessing that is true of other quartz products as well.
Very nice recommendations!