How to Avoid Microplastics

by Million Marker

Put Microplastics Under A Microscope

Nurture a sustainable tomorrow by limiting your reliance on plastics. Small but mighty, thousands of nanoplastics come together to make millions of products worldwide. Durable plastics are reliable for everyday functions but are unreliable for our environment and health.

Microplastics are not any one kind of plastic, but are any plastic that is less than 5 millimeters, which is about the width of a pencil eraser. However, they can be much tinier... the smallest reported microplastic in the ocean was 1.6 micrometers. So about 600 of them could fit into the period at the end of this sentence. That means they can sneak into the atmosphere, water supply, and our bodies.

These nanoplastics are double trouble because there are two types of microplastics:

  • Primary microplastics - Those used in everyday products that get washed into our water systems (lotion fragrances, shampoo preservatives, etc.)

  • Secondary microplastics - Broken down from larger pieces of plastic (water bottles, storage containers, etc.) 

     

Microplastics can be found in:

  • Drinking water

  • Food (especially shellfish and takeout)

  • Personal care products

  • Clothing 

  • Furniture textiles

  • Table salt

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Ink/paint

  • Beer 

  • Any plastic


Reduce microplastics by decreasing your plastic use, avoiding bottled water (use filtered tap water instead!), reducing shellfish consumption, and eating out less.  

Protect your hormones by avoiding microplastics as much as possible. Microplastics can contain chemicals such as Bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These toxic chemicals are known endocrine disruptors that pose health and fertility risks. 

Detox from microplastics by testing your body for plastic chemical exposures. Determine how well your body is removing microplastics from your body with a Detect & Detox Test Kit + Lifestyle Audit.

 

Little Beads, Big Problems 

Clean up your daily routine, clean up the environment. 4,900 million metric tons of waste ended up in landfills between 1950 and 2015 [2]. By 2050, numbers are expected to hit 12,000 million metric tons. 

Save the oceans by reducing microplastics in your daily routine. Nanoplastics aren’t readily biodegradable, which makes them pretty toxic. 

Toxic chemicals like company. 

Studies show that microplastics accumulate biohazards in the ocean, including:

  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - petroleum oil-based

  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - petroleum oil-based

  • Dichlorodiphynyltrichloroethane (DDT) - pesticide

  • Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) - pesticide

Swim in clean waters. Reduce ocean pollution by shopping Million Marker Approved Products. 

 

Limitless Possibilities in Limiting Microplastics

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the sources of microplastics. Luckily, there are ways you can reduce your exposure to these toxic chemicals by adopting easy changes to your current lifestyle. 

  • Don’t get catfished by ocean pollutants! Banned in 2015, microbeads now go by other names such as acrylate copolymer [3]. Make sure none of your products are on our Chemicals to Avoid List. 

  • Fish are friends! Limit your seafood consumption as microplastics in fish and shellfish is a growing problem. They find their way into our oceans and into our stomachs through these scaly friends. 

  • Teabags are so last year. A 2019 study found that billions of microplastics were released into a cup of tea brewed with a plastic tea bag [4]. Toss the tea bags out of your life like it’s the Boston Tea Party. Use reusable linen bags or steepers and switch to loose leaf tea. It tastes better too!

  • Cook, don’t zap! Ditch the takeout box and warm your food up in glass dishes. For more nutrient-dense meals, cook with fresh foods in stainless steel or copper cookware. 

 

Managing Microplastics with Micro Changes

Moving on from familiar things is challenging. Find support in your friends at Million Marker.

Make your microplastic detox possible by:

 

Microplastics Don’t Stand A Chance Against Million Marker

Lifestyle changes shouldn’t be hard. Take the first step of your toxic-free journey with one small change per day.

Personalize your detox routine. Learn how to avoid microplastics in YOUR environment with Million Marker.

Take our Detect & Detox Test Kit + Lifestyle Audit. Receive personalized feedback and recommendations on how to alter your lifestyle to maximize your health and well-being! 


RESOURCES

[1] https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/microplastics/ 

[2]  https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic

[3]https://www.choice.com.au/health-and-body/beauty-and-personal-care/skin-care-and-cosmetics/articles/microplastics-and-microbeads-in-toothpaste-facial-body-scrubs 

[4] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540

 

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