Plastic products contain harmful chemicals that have been linked to cancer, asthma, allergies, and other health complications.

Unfortunately, plastic is present in almost all aspects of our daily lives, even though it’s hazardous to human health.

Bisphenol A (BPAs) are in a wide variety of plastics and are dangerous for infant development, thyroid health, fertility, miscarriages, IBS, high blood pressure, and the list goes on.

When plastics are scratched or single-use plastics are reused, the chemicals they contain can leach into our skin, food, water, and even the air.

Plastics should be avoided as much as possible by everyone, infants and adults alike.

To reduce plastic exposure, you can:

  • Buy Bulk ingredients from plastic-free shops to reduce plastic packaging on dry foods that can leach into food.
  • Sleep in Natural Fibres, consider the fabrics you’re choosing for your beddings and living environment. Synthetic fabrics shed microplastics into the water you use to wash them, and they linger in your laundry machine, sinks, etc. Synthetic fabrics are also extremely irritating to the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Choose quality natural fabrics like certified organic cotton and linen for bedding and upholstery throughout your home.
  • Increase Fresh Produce in your diet; increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet thus reduces the need for food with plastic wrappings or cardboard.
  • Search for plastic-free alternatives. For example, you can switch out your plastic food containers for glass ones to store leftovers. Reusable beeswax wraps can replace plastic wrap, stainless-steel straws can replace plastic ones, and choose bar soap over liquid soap or use reusable water bottles and mugs rather than single-use options.

With the zero-waste movement gaining widespread popularity and traction in recent years, finding alternatives to plastic is easier than ever.

Visit our section on: Child care, Housekeeping and Personal hygiene for more healthy solutions.

References:

Statistics Canada. (2021). ASEQ-EHAQ https://aseq-ehaq.ca/en/mcs-statistics/

Your Laundry Sheds Harmful Microfibers. Here’s What You Can Do About It.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/reduce-laundry-microfiber-pollution/