How to Reduce Microplastics at Home (and What Experts Say Actually Helps)

One of the best ways to dodge microplastics is to stop drinking water bottled in plastic. You could carry filtered tap water in a stainless-steel water bottle, and ditch plastic water bottles forever — your body and our planet would thank you.

Being a mom to a grade-schooler, I’m constantly buying new water bottles. We’ve tried out most major brands on the market, and despite the relatively high sticker price, Hydro Flask is our favorite. It keeps your water icy cold (or hot) all day, and the lid is easy to screw on and off and never gets stuck. Plus, the bottle is incredibly durable: We haven’t broken one yet, and we’ve broken a lot of other water bottles. You can choose between a flip-top straw and a basic chug lid. (I prefer the basic chug lid as it’s easier to clean.) The bottle comes in a wide variety of colors, too.

Hydro Flask also makes a great travel mug. It's just as well-designed as the water bottles, and it's a great way to keep disposable cups (which are usually lined with plastic) out of your life. Most coffee shops are happy to fill up your reusable mug, and some even offer a small discount for bringing your own.

I’ve got an Airmega in my bedroom, and I absolutely love it. It’s light and small enough to move around easily, and the sleek design blends in nicely with my bedroom decor. On its lower settings, it’s quiet enough that I barely notice it. It has four different intensity settings and a built-in air quality monitor that tells it to kick on automatically when your air needs purifying; then it turns itself off once your air is clean. It even has an “odor” setting specifically designed to help neutralize bad smells.

Setup is as easy as plugging it in, and replacing the filter is simple and intuitive. It has a HEPA filter, as well as a three-stage filtration system and an indicator light that tells you when it’s time to change the filter. I can notice the difference in the air when I’ve had it running for a while, and I wake up less congested since I’ve installed it.

If you’re looking to purify the air in your entire home, filtration in your HVAC system will have a much bigger impact than any stand-alone single-room filter. Most HVAC systems have built-in air filters, which are rated by MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) on how well they filter air.

Makesure your filters are being replaced regularly. They should be swapped out every 60-90 days, or more often if you have pets or smoke inside. It’s usually simple enough to do yourself, so you don’t necessarily need to call an HVAC professional every time you want to change your filters.

“I use a MERV-8 filter in my house, which is the best filter that my system can handle. Some systems may not be ableto handle additional filtration to remove these finer particulates from the air. When you get higher numbers, the filters get thicker, and that means that it puts more resistance and strain on the system,” says LeBeau.

If you own your home, make sure you replace your filters regularly with the highest-value filter your system can handle. If you rent, talk to your landlord to make sure your system isbeing properly maintained and your filters are being replaced regularly.

The best thing about the Big Berkey’s design is its size. You can leave it in the sink to fill up and have water for the next few days, rather than constantly refilling a smaller pitcher-style system. You can also pour yourself a glass of water from a Berkey much more quickly than with an under-sink system, which filters the water as it is dispensed and can be painfully slow. With metal storage drums, your water won’t be sitting in contact with plastic, as is the case with most other gravity-fed water filters.

While they’re less likely to trigger the hormonal changes some microplastic chemicals are known for, they’re still going to contribute to the “physical damage” that both Dr. Ovadia and Dr. Perlmutter discuss as being the main risk factor for heart and brain diseases.

A cast-iron skillet is a great choice for your stovetop, but it can be heavy and hard to clean. A high-quality set of ceramic-coated pans is another great option, because it's going to help keep your meals from sticking to the pans while still keeping microplastics out of your food.

Caraway gets rave reviews and has a loyal fanbase of cooks who say these pans maintain their nonstick finish well and dispense heat evenly. They’re compatible with any stovetop, including induction, and are oven-safe to 550 degrees F. They also lookgreat. They come in eight different colors to match just about any kitchen décor.

A nonplastic cutting board is a must-have for any kitchen. Made from sustainably harvested bamboo, these durable cutting boards have been carbonized at 500 degrees F, making them stronger and less absorbent than typical bamboo cutting boards. They’re also thicker than other bamboo cutting boards I’ve owned; my current set shows no sign of warping, and neither strawberries nor beets havemanaged to stain them.

My favorite thing about them is the deep juice grooves, which keep whatever I’m cutting from leaking onto the counter. One side of each board also has a shallow reservoir pocket. These work well for keeping liquid on the board, as well as for creating separate compartments for charcuterie and other snacks.

A good set of glass food–storage containers is a must. Ideally, you want your leftovers safely nestled in glass, from when you put them away hot to when you reheat them in the microwave. The color coding in this set helps keep the lids organized, and there’s a perfect size for any quantity of leftovers.

Pyrex glass is made from tempered soda-lime glass, which is designed to be shatter-resistant. You should have no issues sticking your hot leftovers right into the fridge.

If you want to avoid eating off plastic, Falcon’s set of Enamelware Dinner Plates is a great alternative. The plates stack easily and are light enough to make washing up a breeze. Plus, they're just as nonbreakable as plastic, making them fantastic for households with “small safety inspectors” who perform regular “shatterability” tests on all dishware.

This set is available in four different colors, and the matching tumbler cups are as practical as they are attractive. “I’ve been trying to cut down on my plastics and disposables use, and I love these for entertaining,” says editor Katie Tuttle. “They have this great summer-camp vibe, are lightweight, and virtually indestructible. Plus, no more disposable cups or plates!”

Microfiber sheets are tempting to buy, as they’re very cheap and very soft. But they also encase you in plastic for the many hours you’re asleep, leaving you at risk of inhaling microfibers all night long. A nice set of cotton sheets is a must for plastic-proofing your house, and Brooklinen’s percale sheets have become an instant classic.

These 270 thread–count sheets are made from long-stable cotton, making them soft yet durable. They’re cleverly stampedwith “long” and “short” along the sides of the fitted sheets to take the hassle out of making the bed. Plus, they come in a wide variety of solid colors and appealing prints. They offer a lot of differentcombinations: You can ditch the top sheet, for example, or buy an extra fitted sheet or pillowcases on their own.

When it comes to plastic-free living, Rowe is the real deal.It has plastic-free items I didn’t even know existed, like bamboo and boar-bristle toothbrushes and silk dental floss. I love the company's organic cotton T-shirts because they’re undyed and made with completely U.S.-grown cotton. If you’re into natural products, as well as earth tones, there’s nothing better than the natural parchment shade of undyed cotton, like these tees have.

After scanning five brands of shampoo in my housewith the Beat the Microbead app, I found that all of them had at least “skeptical microplastics.” Those are synthetic polymers which haven’t been researched enough to know whether they break down completely or act as microplastics.

You can play it safe by switching to Attitude’s shampoo and conditioner bars, which scan green on the app. They contain zero microplastics, and they smell amazing. Solid shampoo and conditioner may sound strange, but they work wonderfully and are more than just microplastic-free. They're also great ways to reduce plastic waste and your carbon footprint by creating a smaller, lighter product for transport.

Most typical deodorants contain microplastics. I found polyethylene in a stick of men’s Degree, while a stick of women’s Degree had polyethylene and three more. Natural brands — like Humble, Schmidt’s, and Native — have completely microplastic-free formulas and are widely available in most drugstores.

They’re not going to have the same antiperspirant quality as deodorants that contain aluminum, but they’re good enough to keep you from offending anyone onthe train. Native has gone one step further by packaging its deodorant in paper, keeping microplastics out of the environment as well as our bodies. 

Lotions can also contain microplastics, often added as texture-enhancers to create that smooth, velvety feel on your skin. On ingredient labels, these may show up as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or other plastic-based compounds.

Weleda’s Skin Food BodyLotion gives you that silky feel without any plastic, locking in moisture with plant-based botanicals and squalane. The company’s popular Skin Food line has a wide range of products, including face creams, lip balms, and body butters.