lessplasticplease

less plastic, please.

Plastic has turned up in human blood, arteries and brains. We report what the research shows, name the companies making the mess, and vet the glass, steel, wood and clay that can replace it, against a standard we publish in full.

45 articles1073 citationsEach one links to the study it came from.

An empty green plastic bottle lying on wet sand at the water's edge, with strands of seaweed in the shallow water behind it.
What we throw away. A plastic bottle washed up on a beach in Pas-de-Calais, France. Photo: Falken, CC BY-SA 2.5
Glass jars of oats, granola, pasta and dried goods with screw-top lids on a wooden shelf, two with small handwritten paper labels.
What lasts. Dry goods stored in glass jars on a wooden pantry shelf. Photo: Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0

It's already inside us.

Three peer-reviewed findings from the last four years. Read the caveats too: finding plastic in a body is not the same as proving it causes harm.

  1. Plastic particles were measured in the blood of healthy volunteers, at a mean of 1.6 µg per milliliter: the first time plastic in human blood was quantified.

    Leslie et al., Environment International, 2022

  2. Among 257 patients followed for about 34 months, those with micro- and nanoplastics in their artery plaque had 4.5 times the risk of heart attack, stroke or death. The study shows an association, not proof of cause.

    Marfella et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2024

  3. Microplastic levels in human brain and liver samples rose significantly between 2016 and 2024, and were higher still in brains of people diagnosed with dementia.

    Nihart et al., Nature Medicine, 2025

What it means for your health, and what it doesn't

Latest reporting

Home & bedroom,

A less plastic holiday: wrapping, glitter, trees, lights and gifts

From Thanksgiving to New Year, plastic turns up in the wrapping, the glitter, the tree and the lights. What the evidence says about each, which swaps are worth it, and which are just a different shade of plastic.

  • Foil and glitter wrapping paper usually can't be recycled. The 'scrunch test' is a council rule of thumb, not a lab method. Plain paper, reused cloth and string are the safe bets.
  • Glitter is a microplastic, usually a plastic film with a metallic coating. In one river-habitat experiment, 'biodegradable' cellulose glitter also caused harm, so using less glitter beats switching brands.
  • Artificial trees are PVC, steel and polypropylene. A study paid for by the artificial tree industry says keep one for 4.7 years; a Canadian consultancy's study said about 20 years to match real trees on climate.

11-minute read, 20 sources

  1. Microplastics in food: seafood, salt, rice and how much we really eat

    Mussels, sea salt, rice, honey, shrimp. Which food studies hold up, which used methods now criticised, and why estimates of how much plastic we eat range from micrograms to grams.

    Filed under Kitchen & food storage, citing 24 sources

  2. A parent's guide to plastic, from pregnancy to primary school

    Stage by stage, the few plastic changes with the best evidence, which ones are only precautions, and the safety rules that always come first. No guilt required.

    Filed under Baby & kids, citing 41 sources

  3. Grocery shopping with less plastic: what matters and what doesn't

    Loose produce, bulk bins, glass jars and the receipt you didn't ask for. What the evidence says about each, including the life-cycle studies where glass loses, and where your effort actually pays off.

    Filed under Kitchen & food storage, citing 9 sources

  4. Takeout and delivery containers: foam, black plastic and "compostable" bowls

    Your dinner arrives in foam, black trays, clear tubs or a fibre bowl that may be greaseproofed with PFAS. What each one sheds, what the rules say in October 2026, and what to ask the restaurant.

    Filed under On the go, citing 21 sources

  5. Wet wipes: the plastic, the 'flushable' myth and the UK ban

    Many wet wipes are part plastic, 'flushable' is mostly a marketing word, and the UK is about to ban plastic wipes. What's in them, where they end up, and what to use instead.

    Filed under Personal care & bathroom, citing 27 sources

All 45 articles

Check it yourself

Start with one room

You don't have to change everything at once. Pick the room where you use the most plastic, and start there.

Room photos: Kitchen & food storage, Photo: Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0; Drinking water, Photo: Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0; Personal care & bathroom, Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0; Cleaning & laundry, Photo: Gill King, CC BY-SA 2.0; Clothing & textiles, Photo: Sadarama, CC BY-SA 4.0; Baby & kids, Photo: Lucas Pescador Barcelos, CC BY-SA 4.0; Home & bedroom, Photo: Liz Lawley, CC BY-SA 2.0; On the go, Photo: Unknown (via PxHere), CC0.