Plastic microfibers visible to the naked eye. Photo by Anna Bolm.
Susanne Brander is an ecotoxicologist and associate professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, where her research examines how wildlife is affected by microplastics and other environmental pollutants, and how microplastics accumulate in the environment.
Brander is a co-leader of the Pacific Northwest Consortium on Plastics (along with Stacey Harper in AgSci) and part of a group of scientists currently advising the U.N. on an international plastics treaty. Through her research and experience she has learned some practical ways for reducing consumption and production of microplastics in everyday life.
“It’s overwhelming and I think that sometimes the reaction to attempting to reduce plastic exposure is just to shut down because it seems like it’s everywhere, like, ‘How could I possibly make a difference?’” Brander said. “But anything you can do, even if it’s something small, is going to make a difference.”
So even if you can’t do all of these all the time, every little bit helps:
Tip #1: Refillable beverage containers
“Most people are already using their own water bottles, but something I don’t see much is people bringing a refillable coffee mug,” Brander said.
Most coffee shops will pour your drink into a reusable container, and this has benefits for both you and the environment.
“Paper” coffee cups are not actually recyclable because they are lined with plastic, and as soon as the plastic lining is exposed to hot liquid, it starts to break down and go into the liquid, so you’re drinking microplastics, Brander said.
Tip #2: Reusable grocery bags — for produce, too
“It’s so simple to bring a tote bag with you — not just at checkout, but to put your kale or your oranges or whatever in,” Brander said. Plastic produce bags break down easily when exposed to sunlight and wear, shedding microplastics as they go.
2a: Avoid buying products that use excess plastic packaging, like produce wrapped in plastic clamshells that cannot be recycled.
Tip #3: Get to know your recyclables
Aluminum and glass are almost infinitely recyclable, with the material retaining its strength no matter how many times it is repurposed, Brander said.
Not so with plastic. Over time, the material breaks down and is no longer able to be melted down and made into something else. What’s more, many of the 16,000+ chemicals used to make plastic have not been fully vetted for their toxicity to people.
“Just because something is ‘BPA-free,’ doesn’t mean it doesn’t have toxic chemicals in it,” Brander said.
In the U.S. and most of the world, only plastics numbers 1 and 2 are highly recyclable. Those are PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high-density polyethylene). Almost everything else goes in the trash.
Tip #4: Be careful with what’s touching your food
Don’t use plastic cutting boards, as your knives carve out tiny shards of plastic that get into your food, Brander said.
And never microwave in plastic, even if the plastic packaging says to in the instructions. Plastic starts to break down as soon as it is microwaved or placed in boiling water, releasing microplastics and chemicals that you then ingest.
This image taken with a scanning electron microscope shows a weathered polyester microfiber with nanoparticles breaking off it. These nanoparticles are small enough to move around the body if ingested or inhaled. Photo by Lauren Kashiwabara.
Tip #5: Think about what you’re wearing (and buying)
“There are textile piling up in certain parts of the world. People are not trained to think of clothing as trash, but it ends up being trash,” Brander said. “You can’t recycle it for the most part and there’s an oversupply to Goodwill and thrift stores.”
Synthetic clothing — anything made of polyester, nylon, spandex etc. — breaks down over time and becomes microfibers that we inhale.
Instead of chasing fast fashion and micro-trends, focus on buying higher quality items that are going to last a long time, seeking out clothing made from natural fibers, buying from sustainable clothing manufacturers, and buying things secondhand, she said.
Sites like Poshmark, eBay and ThredUP are helpful sources not just for secondhand clothing, but a wide range of other gently used items you might need.
Tip #6: Don’t let despair drag you down
Brander says she gets asked all the time how this work doesn’t leave her feeling depressed and hopeless.
“My favorite answer is that if I wasn’t thinking about it and trying to make it better, I’d be even more depressed,” she said. “I think trying to find solutions and pushing for change makes me feel more hopeful.”
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