Guides
The pages to bookmark. What each plastic and chemical is, where you meet it, what the evidence says about harm (sorted by how strong it is), how it's regulated, and what actually lowers your exposure.
BPA, BPS and the bisphenol family: what "BPA-free" really means
BPA is in cans, old hard plastics and (until recently) your receipts. What the evidence shows, why Europe banned it and the FDA didn't, and why the replacements aren't a clean fix.
13-minute read, 29 sources
Glass and ceramic, explained: Pyrex, lead glazes, crystal and the lids that let them down
Glass and ceramic are the classic swaps for plastic, but they have their own red flags: shattering bakeware, lead glazes, leaded crystal, painted rims and PVC lid seals. What to buy and what to skip.
13-minute read, 26 sources
How microplastics are measured, and why the numbers disagree so wildly
Ten particles per litre or a quarter of a million? Grams a week or micrograms? How labs find, identify and count plastic, where it goes wrong, and how to read the next scary headline.
12-minute read, 39 sources
Microplastics and your health: what the evidence shows, graded
Plastic is in us. Whether it's hurting us is a separate question. We grade every major claim, from blood to brains to heart attacks, by how good the evidence actually is.
18-minute read, 26 sources
PFAS, the 'forever chemicals', explained: what they are and what they have to do with plastic
Thousands of fluorinated chemicals, some of them plastics, most barely breaking down. What the evidence says about harm, where the rules stand in late 2026, and what lowers your exposure.
15-minute read, 35 sources
Phthalates explained: what they are, what the evidence says and how to eat fewer of them
The softeners in vinyl and the fixatives in fragrance end up in almost everyone. What the science shows about harm, how the US and EU regulate them, and which fixes actually work.
15-minute read, 37 sources
Plastic types #1 to #7: what each resin code means for your health and the bin
PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS and the #7 grab bag: where each turns up, what leaches or sheds from it, how much actually gets recycled, and which to avoid.
14-minute read, 46 sources
Is silicone plastic? Is it safe for food? Silicone explained
Silicone isn't a conventional plastic, and it isn't inert either. What it's made of, what leaves a baking mould and goes into your cake, what the EU rules cover, and which labels mean anything.
14-minute read, 23 sources
Stainless steel explained: grades, nickel leaching and what the numbers mean
304, 18/8, 18/10, 316, 430, 201: what the labels mean, how much nickel and chromium get into acidic food, who should care, and why a magnet can't tell you much.
13-minute read, 25 sources