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By this point, most people know that, yes, we all have tiny bits of plastics inside our bodies, and yes, they are probably pretty bad for you. But in case you didn’t know that, then the new Netflix documentary, The Plastic Detox—which began streaming today—will open your eyes to the sobering health concerns that are related to the chemicals found in plastic products.
Directed by Louie Psihoyos (You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment) and Josh Murphy, The Plastic Detox is structured around environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna H. Swan, who has been studying the correlation between microplastics and infertility for over thirty years. For the documentary, she conducts an “experiment” (which, she clarifies, cannot legally be classified as a scientific study), in which she helps six couples who are struggling to conceive to cut out as much plastic from their lives as possible. As these couples quickly realize, that’s no easy task—plastic is in nearly everything, including things you wouldn’t expect, like paper products and aluminum cans.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
While there are a lot of scary studies and statistic shown in the documentary that outline just how bad for us the largely unregulated chemicals used in common plastic can be, the documentary also outlines some actions people can take to cut down on microplastics exposure. And some of those actions are as simple as saying “no” when the cashier asks you if you want a receipt.
According to the documentary, two of the key chemicals, often used it plastic, that you want to avoid are phalates and bisphenols. Phalates are often used to make plastics softer, and more flexibles, while bisphenols are often used to make plastic hard and structured. The reason you want to avoid these two chemicals in particular is because they can disrupt our normal hormones, which can lead to things like heart attacks, strokes, infertility, birth defects, breast cancer, and many more health issues.
You probably know by now to stop drinking out of plastic water bottles and using plastic cutting boards. But here are five more steps outlined by the documentary that you can take to reduce your exposure to these chemicals.
1. Avoid handling receipts
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Though you may think of receipts as just paper, almost all receipts are coated in layer of plastic that contains one of those big chemicals to avoid: Bisephenol A. So, a very easy way to cut down your exposure to this potentially harmful chemical is to stop taking receipts at the store. Just ask the cashier to toss it for you!
And if you’re a cashier yourself, you might want to consider wearing gloves while you work.
2. Avoid food and beverage products that come in plastic packaging.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Once you replace the cooking utensils in your kitchen with non-plastic alternatives, you still want to be careful that the food you’re buying—whether at the grocery store or at restaurants—doesn’t come in plastic packaging. Even paper coffee cups and paper take-out boxes are often lined with plastic. Try bringing in your own ceramic mug from home, or traveling with metal utensils. Life Without Plastic has a lot of options for non-plastic food containers, including a cute little stainless steel travel spork. You might also try getting one of those cute little crocheted bags from wool yarn, to put your produce in at the market, instead of those flimsy plastic bags.
3. Avoid fragrance products and perfumes.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Products with “fragrance” on the label, from detergent to perfume to candles, often contain phalates or other chemicals linked to health issues. Even products claiming to be “unscented” can still contain “fragrance,” so it’s best to look for products that are “fragrance free.”
4. Try to use only natural person care product.
Courtesy of Netflix
From your toothbrush to your hairbrush to your soap to your deodorant, there is a lot of plastic in the personal care products we are putting on and in our bodies nearly every day. If you can start swapping out even a few of these items, you can start reducing your microplastics intake. Gaia Guy sells some entirely plastic-free toothbrushes made of bamboo and boar’s hair, as well as natural deodorant and other plastic-free personal products.
5. Avoid synthetic textiles and petrochemical dyes
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
This is probably the least easy and most expensive step outlined in the documentary. A large majority of the microplastics found in the ocean come from textiles that get washed over and over again in washing machines, draining their potentially toxic chemicals back into our water. Additionally, the skin is your largest organ, and all day long you’re absorbing the chemicals from your clothes into your skin. A big way to cut down on that is by buying clothing that doesn’t use synthetic material.
That’s a lot easier said than done. However, the documentary does spotlight a company called California Cloth Foundry, which specializes in sustainable clothing from natural materials. The founder is upfront about the fact that these clothes are not cheap to make, and therefore not cheap to buy. A pair of pajamas—bottoms and a top—are listed on their website for $325.
While it won’t help with your own microplastics exposure, a great and cheap way to cut down on clothing waste—which, thanks to the plastics in them, won’t break down for hundred of years—is to shop at your local second-hand store.
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The Plastic Detox
