Evidence-based plastic-free guides

Plastic-free living, backed by microplastics research.

Curated recommendations paired with the latest microplastics news and research.

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Start with the easiest changesThe changes with the biggest payoff, room by room.See what the science saysHow microplastics reach your food, water, and body.Find a plastic-free productResearched picks for the kitchen, bath, baby, and more.
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Why microplastics matter

Columbia University researchers tested three popular U.S. bottled water brands and found an average of about 240,000 plastic fragments per liter, roughly 90% of them nanoplastics. That is 10 to 100 times more than earlier estimates, and much of it appears to come from the bottle itself and the filters used in processing. Source: Qian et al., PNAS, 2024.

According to Ocean Conservancy, over 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, adding to the 200 million metric tons already polluting marine environments. That’s equivalent to a garbage truck’s worth of plastic dumped into the ocean every minute, threatening ocean ecosystems around the globe.

In a University of Nebraska–Lincoln study, some plastic baby food containers released as many as 4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from a single square centimeter of plastic during three minutes of microwave heating. Heat speeds up shedding. Warm food in glass or ceramic instead. Source: Hussain et al., Environmental Science & Technology, 2023.

Toothpaste, shampoo, cleaning sprays, food containers and even tea bags all have plastic-free versions. Start with what you heat or eat from, because heat makes plastic shed the most.