{"id":46888,"title":"Reduce your impact: Reduce your microplastic footprint","description":"Imagine, sitting down to breakfast and eating a nice big bowl of\u2026 plastic.  Sounds crazy, but that\u2019s actually about how much plastic humans consume every six months.","content":"<p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/0pzpbldjjld81padnfur8vj7wg3etjwjmihijsgxfya3guxu.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"lots of plastic bottles and plastic rubbish\" title=\"lots of plastic bottles and plastic rubbish\" \/>Imagine, sitting down to breakfast and eating a nice big bowl of\u2026 plastic. Sounds crazy, but that\u2019s actually about how much plastic humans consume <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/graphics\/ENVIRONMENT-PLASTIC\/0100B4TF2MQ\/index.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>every six months.<\/u><\/strong><\/a> The majority of this plastic is in the form of microplastics \u2013 fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm in length (slightly smaller than sesame seeds). There\u2019s a lot we still don\u2019t know about microplastics, including exactly how harmful they are to humans, but this post will give you a brief primer on the topic.<\/p><h3><strong>What are microplastics?<\/strong><\/h3><p>There are two main types of microplastics:<\/p><ul><li><p>Primary microplastics are intentionally made small (e.g. cosmetic microbeads or \u201cnurdles,\u201d pre-production pellets used in plastic manufacturing)<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p>Secondary microplastics are formed through the breakup of larger plastics, often in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unep.org\/news-and-stories\/story\/plastic-planet-how-tiny-plastic-particles-are-polluting-our-soil\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>soil<\/u><\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>or bodies of water (remember, plastics don\u2019t really decompose, they only <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/590ac876be6594e6a3141c3b\/1629874041157-849NRMJSFXMHZJ2FEGOX\/PRESCHOOL-booklet-final_HOW+PLASTICS+BREAK+DOWN.jpg?format=1500w\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>break down into<\/u><\/strong><u> <\/u><strong><u>smaller and smaller pieces<\/u><\/strong><\/a> over a very long time)<\/p><\/li><\/ul><h3><strong>Where do microplastics come from?<\/strong><\/h3><p>Because microplastics are so small, it can be difficult to even locate them, much less track where they come from. For easier collection, a lot of the research on microplastic origins has focused on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-020-17932-9#search-menu\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>ocean depths<\/u><\/strong><\/a>. Around 70-80% of ocean microplastics come from larger plastic pollution (i.e. bags, bottles, fishing nets, etc.) breaking down, but for the roughly 20% that enter the ocean as small pieces already, they\u2019re thought to come from:<\/p><ul><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-019-43023-x\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Synthetic textiles<\/u><\/strong><\/a> (35%) - microfibers coming off of clothes during the washing process.<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-020-17201-9\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Car tires<\/u><\/strong><\/a> (28%) - these days, tires are mostly made of plastic, shedding pieces as the tires wear.<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p>City dust (24%) - a catchall category for plastics where we can\u2019t identify the source.<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Yvonne-Andersson-Skoeld\/publication\/342122105_Microplastics_from_tyre_and_road_wear_A_literature_review\/links\/5ee32c1b92851ce9e7dcc920\/Microplastics-from-tyre-and-road-wear-A-literature-review.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Road markings<\/u><\/strong><\/a> (7%) - e.g. reflective paint which breaks down as it gets too worn.<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p>Marine coatings (3.7%) - bottoms of boats, etc.<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/microbeads-international-ban-damage-marine-life-plastic\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Personal care products<\/u><\/strong><\/a> (2%) - e.g. microbeads.<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p>Plastic pellets (.3%) - nurdles used in plastic production [note: this particular % is highly debated].<\/p><\/li><\/ul><h3><strong>Why are microplastics a problem?<\/strong><\/h3><p>Though studies have not confirmed the direct effects of plastic on humans there are a few reasons to be concerned about the growing amount of microplastics in our ecosystems, animals, and bodies:<\/p><ul><li><p>For the environment: Persistent organic pollutants (called \u201cPOPs,\u201d e.g. DDT) are hydrophobic and will concentrate around microplastics in water environments. Thus, plastics in the environment tend to be concentration sites for other harmful chemicals. (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s42452-019-1352-0\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Example<\/u><\/strong><\/a>)<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p>For marine organisms and wildlife: Studies have found that microplastics can diminish appetite, stunt growth, cause tissue inflammation, and disrupt reproductive systems. Due to bioaccumulation (the increase in the concentration of toxins as you go up the food chain), larger animals may consume large amounts of plastic second-hand.<\/p><p><\/p><\/li><li><p>For humans: Many microplastics may pass right through us, but some have been shown to leave our gastrointestinal tract and enter our hemolymph. This could cause irritation over time (as asbestos does in the lungs), it could lead to chemical toxicity (i.e. compounds used in manufacturing leaching into our bloodstream), or they may become concentration sites for other toxins, as mentioned above. (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6132564\/#CR44\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Example<\/u><\/strong><\/a><strong>)<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/dpbi6z1mkzakelaro5ft8owitnzra434mfwhriloryqgxrks.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&amp;z=1.3000000000000003&amp;fx=0.5559244829970776&amp;fy=0.46997894030587084&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Man on a beach wearing a Stop Plastic in the Sea T-Shirt\" title=\"Man on a beach wearing a Stop Plastic in the Sea T-Shirt\" \/>Buy a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ironoak.design\/product\/stop-plastic-in-the-sea-t-shirt\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Stop Plastic in the Sea T-Shirt here.<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p><h3><strong>What can you do?<\/strong><\/h3><p>Here are a few ways to reduce your microplastic footprint (which we\u2019ll cover more in-depth in future posts):<\/p><ul><li><p>The best thing you can possibly do to reduce the creation of microplastics is to use less plastic overall.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Avoid synthetic clothing where possible. Choose plant or animal-based fabrics and steer clear of polyester, PVC, acrylic, and acetates.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Drive less. Since tire breakdown accounts for up to 28% of microplastics, reducing your time on the road can reduce the breakdown.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Compost properly. Things like milk and juice cartons, hot and cold paper cups, and frozen food or takeout containers all contain plastic. If these items end up in our compost they can quickly break down into microplastics that enter our food chain. In the U.K. a product must say \u201cHome Compostable\u201d (biodegradable is NOT a regulated term).<\/p><\/li><li><p>Audit your personal care products for microplastics. Though this is only 2% of the total problem (and many cities or countries have already banned them) it\u2019s an easy change to make. Avoid Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and, Nylon (PA).<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><p>Plastic companies are quick to remind you that we don\u2019t have conclusive scientific evidence that plastic or microplastic is bad for human health. And they are technically correct \u2013 research of this kind is really hard to do on people and the exact relationship between ingestion and expected health outcomes is still loose.<\/p><p>Despite the challenge, we can expect this to be a focus area for scientists in the coming years, and in the meantime it feels sensible to err on the side of caution and mitigate microplastic pollution as much as we can.<\/p><h3><strong>Learn more<\/strong><\/h3><p>The inspiration for this post came from a great talk from Boulder\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hc2sHjsRgxY\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Ecocycle Eco-leaders<\/u><\/strong><\/a> program but <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-021-01143-3\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>Nature<\/u><\/strong><\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/science\/article\/microplastics-in-virtually-every-crevice-on-earth\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>National geographic<\/u><\/strong><\/a> have very informative articles as well. Our stats about the origins of microplastics come from this <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/portals.iucn.org\/library\/sites\/library\/files\/documents\/2017-002-En.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>IUCN meta-analysis<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>","urlTitle":"reduce-your-impact-reduce-your-microplastic-footprint","url":"\/blog\/reduce-your-impact-reduce-your-microplastic-footprint\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/reduce-your-impact-reduce-your-microplastic-footprint\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/ironoak.design\/blog\/reduce-your-impact-reduce-your-microplastic-footprint\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1741087144,"updatedAt":1741087529,"publishedAt":1741087528,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":235767,"name":"Iron Oak Design"},"tags":[{"id":1911,"code":"impact","name":"Impact","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/impact\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/y3nwheyudcotf53fod35fvsvdcf3jeurnooin3rugrfjotsw.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/y3nwheyudcotf53fod35fvsvdcf3jeurnooin3rugrfjotsw.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/y3nwheyudcotf53fod35fvsvdcf3jeurnooin3rugrfjotsw.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":21555,"title":"Reduce your impact: Reduce water usage around the house","url":"\/blog\/reduce-water-usage-around-the-house\/","urlTitle":"reduce-water-usage-around-the-house","division":235767,"description":"Reduce your water usage around the house with simple changes to your lifestyle.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/b89vibwkq3pcotweq3tvy9oxxhrwvrroxbbj7pljvr5l7j6y.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/b89vibwkq3pcotweq3tvy9oxxhrwvrroxbbj7pljvr5l7j6y.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":21924,"title":"One Tee One Kg","url":"\/blog\/one-tee-one-kg\/","urlTitle":"one-tee-one-kg","division":235767,"description":"From discarded ghost nets, to minuscule microplastics released during washing, our planet is facing a plastic crisis. For every order made during our \u2018One Tee One Kg\u2019 promotion, a kilogram of ocean-bound plastic is recovered and recycled - the equivalent of 50 plastic bottles.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/b0lh4imjytbtrnz0mayb9ttspixodwyonoefxsftfdzrsmrd.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/b0lh4imjytbtrnz0mayb9ttspixodwyonoefxsftfdzrsmrd.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":23912,"title":"Reduce your impact: Reduce food waste by storing salad properly","url":"\/blog\/reduce-food-waste-by-storing-produce-properly\/","urlTitle":"reduce-food-waste-by-storing-produce-properly","division":235767,"description":"You may already be aware of the basics of fridge optimization \u2013 keeping a 2 - 4\u00b0C temperature, using your crisper drawers properly, and putting items that need to be used first up front (to name a few). In this blog, we\u2019re going to focus on salad, fruit and vegetables, the trickiest foods to keep fresh.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/cdmgn1iynyqqlh0kscdn7onoxrtzmgepl4vccdm7siaeuysb.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/cdmgn1iynyqqlh0kscdn7onoxrtzmgepl4vccdm7siaeuysb.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}