Plastics have become ubiquitous in modern society. From food packaging to clothing and from appliances to the keyboard I am typing on. Our modern lives are made possible through the convenience of plastic and all its capabilities as an extremely versatile and cheap material.
The 20th century saw the rise of plastics and has seen giant leaps across all industries. The sanitary and disposable nature is integral to the medical industry whilst the long life and durability of plastic makes it perfect for tech items, domestic appliances, car parts and many many other things.
So, whats the problem?
As plastics have only been around for just over 100 years and for the first half of that time people were caught up in the convenience that plastics afforded us, its only in the last 50 years or so that the detrimental effects of plastic use have been noted and researched. We are all aware of the effects of plastic pollution on our oceans and waterways and the fact that plastic is so durable, it makes up a huge portion of landfill. Plastics are estimated to take from a few hundred to a thousand years to degrade. Which means all the plastic ever produced are still here!! Mind blowing.
But, aside from the environmental effects, plastics actually have an impact on our individual health as well. Plastics contain hazardous forever chemicals (EDCs) that leach from the material and disrupt our hormone health. They can do this in a multitude of ways, through being 'chemically similar' to our endogenous hormones and so our body treats the EDCs as such. They can block our hormones from doing their job, or they can affect how hormones are made, stored and broken down. All in all these endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are bad news for health as the endocrine system is a complex cascade that controls growth, reproductive health, weight and insulin resistance plus almost any other body process you can think of.
EDCs are not only in plastics but many other synthetic substances...
- More information on EDCs can be found here.
Here are 7 easy ways you can reduce your exposure to EDCs
1. Wear natural fibres
Synthetic fibres are actually plastic fibres - which means whenever you buy a new piece of clothing made from polyester and spandex, that is 100% plastic! All of the big brand names in sportswear and activewear use polyester and spandex and these fabrics have been shown to hold high levels of forever chemicals such as PFAs. PFAs are endocrine disrupting and wearing these fabrics against your skin (especially against your crotch area which is highly absorbent) is not advised. These fibres are cheap and allow for incredible designs BUT they are terrible for our health. Choose cotton, bamboo, hemp and linen wherever possible. These fibres allow your skin to breathe, do not hold EDCs and other harmful chemicals that can damage health and do not shed microplastics :)
A excellent natural fibre to consider including in your wardrobe is Hemp. Hemp is sustainable in many ways: it grows fast, produces amazing quality clothing that lasts much longer than synthetic alternatives and is far better for your skin and hormone health to wear. A great start would be hemp t-shirts - something we all wear on a regular basis.
2. Wash your hands
Most people wash their hands after going to the bathroom, when cooking or eating BUT we often don't think about the plastics we are forever touching such as our steering wheel, keyboard, phone etc. So, making it a practise to wash your hands more regularly will help wash away the chemical residue from these plastics.
3. Avoid plastic packaging
Say no to plastic bags, choose food packaged in glass or metal and use paper produce bags for fresh produce. It really is easy to reduce plastic in grocery shopping but almost impossible to avoid completely. We aren't looking for perfection, reduction is key!
4. Avoid plastic food storage
When storing food at home, use glass containers or repurpose jars. Never heat food in plastic as warm plastic leaches more chemicals directly into food.
5. Avoid plastic bottles
It has been years since I have purchased a drink in plastic and a big reason is that I have no idea when that liquid was first poured into that bottle therefore, how long has it been stored in plastic and how many times has it been warmed. Microplastics will be in that drink and 100% I would be ingesting EDCs. There are delicious mixers in glass bottles, I choose these and always carry my own water bottle with me.
6. Dust & Vacuum Often
Flame Retardant chemicals are plastics and are in many household products. Chemicals escape from these products and into the household dust. So keeping a clean house can reduce exposure to EDCs.
6. Avoid synthetic fragrances
Synthetic fragrances in cosmetics, personal care products, perfumes and cleaning products contain EDCs such as phthalates. Choose fragrance free and switch to natural cleaning products such as vinegar and essential oils.
7. Filter your water
Town water is full of contaminants such as chlorine, fluoride and synthetic hormones from women's contraceptives. Purchase a water filter and filter all the water you drink. We have had one at home for 6 years, and replace our filter candle every year. And I have just purchased a second one for the shop from Village Pottery Co.
There is a body of on-going research into EDCs and their effect on health which can be overwhelming. Almost everything in our daily lives has the potential to have a negative effect on our health depending which research you read. The key here is to be aware and make better choices wherever possible. Simple rule I try to use is 'Is this... derived from nature?'. Some synthetic (man-made) products are inevitable unless you plan to go completely off-grid and self sustaining. So ask yourself this question and it can help guide your choices.
Oh, and WASH YOUR HANDS.