The recent news about the microplastics found in human testicles has shocked many people. While it is not surprising to find microplastics in human organs, I really hope this news awakens us to the ways we can stop or at least avoid contributing to microplastics in our daily life.
Here are 5 ways I follow to keep my microplastics contribution at a lower level:
1. Stop buying bottled water.
I carry a steel bottle filled with water everywhere. As simple as that. I think they call the bottle you carry everywhere = Emotional support bottle. To some degree that is true as I do not get anxious about pollution caused by me.
2. Choose 100% cotton.
Do you know one of the greatest contributors to microplastic is synthetic clothing? If you are into fast fashion, please take a look at the label of your clothing. If it is rayon, fleece, polyester, acrylic, you are wearing clothes made out of plastic. In fact, most new fabrics are made of plastic - up to 64% of them. Ref : Microfibres: the plastic in our clothes | Friends of the Earth
I choose clothes made of 100% cotton. They might not look trendy, but I always feel comfortable both mentally and physically wearing them!
3.Use glass / steel containers for storage
I replaced all the plastic containers in my pantry with either steel or glass containers. I am not sure if food might get contaminated with microplastics anymore. This was just for my inner peace :).
4. No plastic ware in dishwashers
No matter how hard I tried to get rid of plastic from my kitchen, the glass containers had plastic lids. Recently wood lids have begun entering the market but not as much I would like to see. So the point is even though the plastic lids might day dishwasher safe, I do not put them in dishwasher with a fear of introducing microplastic from the wear and tear during wash cycle. The dishwasher pods should be plastic free too..just food for thought!
5. Pack my lunch from home
I pack my food. I carry a set of steel utensils(spoon, fork) with me. If I choose to have food at cafeteria, there are so many ways I get plastic exposure. The plastic wrap, the plastic utensils, etc etc.
6. No tiny plastic toys please
I do not buy those silly surprise toys for my kids. I am trying to avoid brand names here but surprise toys are the ones which come in small packages and have tiny plastic toys in it as a surprise. First things first those toys can be easily lost and somehow end up in sea. Just take short stroll at your nearest beach and while looking for shells, pick those toys too. You will be surprised with what you find.
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