End Plastics
12 Common Household Plastics You Should Ditch This Plastic Free July
July 31, 2025
Plastic may be convenient, but the microplastics they shed have far-reaching environmental and health consequences.
Each year, over 430 million tons of plastic are produced globally, and two-thirds of the plastics produced are short-lived single use plastic products, which we use for minutes and throw away. While around 40% of all plastics produced are specifically for packaging.
Today, plastics are everywhere. Our plastic trash ends up in landfills, oceans, and even in our bodies as we ingest and inhale microplastics from our food, water and air. Moreover, many plastic products we use in our own kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms are the routes that most infect us with these tiny plastic particles and their additive chemicals.
Microplastics, and the toxic chemicals used to make them have been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, neurotoxicity, and cancers. As research continues to uncover the harmful effects of plastic pollution, Plastic Free July is the perfect opportunity to audit your home, make conscious swaps, and send a message to manufacturers and policymakers that we want a healthier and plastic free future.
Here are 12 common plastic items you likely have in your home right now that are harming your health and the planet – and alternatives you can use instead.
1. Plastic Food Storage Containers
Old or scratched plastic containers can leach bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics directly into your food.
These chemicals leach more when there’s heat involved, like when you use so-called plastic friendly containers in microwaves or when the food you store in your containers are fatty or acidic. The longer your food is in contact with plastic and the harsher the conditions, the higher the risk of plastic migration.
Black plastics, fast food packaging, takeout containers, and “microwave-safe” plastics also contain special chemical coatings and additives that weren’t designed with long-term human health impacts in mind.
So ditch the plastics and instead, use glass, stainless steel, or platinum-grade silicone containers for food storage.
2. Plastic Wrap and Sandwich Bags
We have produced enough plastic to wrap the entire earth in plastic cling film. These thin plastics are made from polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE), both of which are soft, flexible plastics that again can leach harmful chemicals, especially when heated or in contact with oily or acidic food. These plastic films are rarely recycled and frequently end up in the trash bin.
Plastic wrap and sandwich bags are marketed as convenient tools to keep food fresh longer by sealing out air and moisture. While they may offer short-term preservation, research shows that they don’t always prevent our food from wastnig effectively, especially compared to sustainable alternatives like beeswax wraps, silicone pouches, cloth sandwich wraps, or a glass container.
And let’s not forget the humble brown paper bag!
3. Plastic Toothbrushes
Over 1 billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the U.S. alone. Made from plastic nylon bristles and polypropylene handles, they basically never biodegrade. Most are nearly impossible to recycle due to their mixed materials and small size, so they nearly always end up in landfills, incinerators, or oceans once we are done with them.
Instead, try a bamboo toothbrush or use an electric brush with replaceable heads.
4. Plastic Water Bottles
Over 481 billion plastic water bottles are thrown out every year globally. 93% of bottled water contains detectable microplastic particles and one liter of bottled water contains 240,000 microplastic particles.
Not only are single-use water bottles a major contributor to plastic pollution, but they also leach chemicals like antimony and bisphenols into your water, and into you when you drink from the bottles. Why not carry a reusable stainless steel or glass water bottle and make refilling from your tap your go to money saving habit instead?
5. Styrofoam
Styrofoam, made from polystyrene (#6 plastic), is commonly used for disposable cups, plates,
and takeout containers due to its lightweight, insulating properties and low cost.
However, it is a notorious source of styrene, which has been labeled as a probable human carcinogen. It’s non-recyclable in most places and breaks apart into toxic microplastics. These fragments persist in the environment for thousands of years. Ditch the styrofoam and use reusable ceramic and bamboo dishware instead, or compostable paper options.
6. Plastic Cooking Utensils
Plastic spatulas and spoons are typically made from nylon, polypropylene, or polyamide, which breaks down under high temperatures, especially when stirring hot oil, sautéing vegetables, or flipping food in a skillet. This degradation releases microplastics and chemical additives like flame retardants, plasticizers, and color stabilizers into your food.
All of which are known or suspected endocrine disruptors. According to one study, plastic cookware contributes thousands of microplastics into the human diet each year. Again bamboo, wood, or stainless steel cooking utensils are much more human health friendly.
7. Plastic Coffee Pods
Approximately 56 billion coffee pods end up in landfills globally each year. Coffee pods may be convenient, but most are made from a mix of plastics and other materials like aluminium, making it difficult or impossible to recycle. The vast majority of these pods will end up in landfills.
When exposed to high heat, these pods degrade and can release harmful compounds like BPA and phthalates, which are suspected carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Instead, use a french press or a drip brewer – It’s much cooler looking too!
8. Wet Wipes
Marketed as flushable or disposable, many wet wipes (like those used for cleaning or hygiene) are made with polyester or polypropylene, and don’t break down easily like toilet paper or paper towels in water. They contribute to ‘fatbergs’ (massive sewer blockages) and microplastic pollution in aquatic environments!
Consumers might ask, “If they’re labeled flushable, why shouldn’t I flush them?” The truth is that “flushable” is largely a marketing term with no standardized definition or regulation in many countries. Most wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to filter out these durable plastics, so flushing wipes does more harm than tossing them. Cloth wipes or paper-based wipes that are certified compostable are way better!
9. Plastic Sponges and Dish Scrubbers
Sponges are a household staple but they too shed microplastic fibers every time you scrub your dishes. These microplastics are rinsed down the drain and pass through water treatment facilities, many of which are not equipped to filter out the particles, allowing them to enter the environment.
Many plastic sponges degrade quickly, and are infused with antimicrobial chemicals like triclosan, which can promote antibiotic resistance and leach into waterways.
Instead, use natural loofahs, biodegradable cellulose sponges, or coconut fiber/wood pulp brushes.
10. Plastic Shopping and Produce Bags
Plastic shopping bags often accumulate in homes as we receive them from stores. Most curbside recycling programs cannot handle plastic bags because they clog sorting machines and contaminate recycling streams.
Even when collected at special drop-off locations, only a small fraction of these plastic bags will ever get recycled. The majority end up in landfills, waterways, or scattered across landscapes, where they slowly break into microplastics that contaminate soil, water, and even the food we grow. Reusable alternatives are still more sustainable in the long run – cloth tote bags, or mesh produce bags are both great.
11. Tea Bags with Plastic Sealants
Many modern tea bags are sealed with polypropylene, a thermoplastic that helps bags hold their shape in hot water. A study from McGill University found that a single tea bag can release over 11 billion microplastic particles and 3 billion nanoplastics into a cup. Pyramid-shaped tea bags are more likely to contain plastic and be made from plastic nylon bags. Opt for loose-leaf tea with a stainless steel infuser, glass steeper, french press, or find brands that are labelled plastic-free tea bags.
12. Synthetic Clothing
Synthetic clothing made from materials like polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex, is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution globally. Every time these garments are worn or washed, they shed tiny plastic fibers. They are responsible for up to 35% of microplastic pollution in oceans. A single load of laundry can release up to 700,000 microfibers, most of which pass through wastewater treatment plants and into the environment. Globally, 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into oceans every year through domestic clothes washing.
These microfibers have been found in seafood, drinking water, and human lungs, posing a risk to respiratory health and the immune system. Although clothing made from natural fibers like organic cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, or wool still contain chemicals, they are the healthier and more biodegradable option.
Why This Matters
While not everyone has equal access to plastic-free alternatives, reducing your plastic use doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Small, simple changes where you can make a difference. Many swaps like using bar soap instead of bottled body wash, carrying a reusable bag, or switching to a stainless steel water bottle, can actually save you money over time. Traditional, more sustainable practices have also existed for centuries.
These alternatives are becoming increasingly accessible, and every small change helps shift the market by increasing demand for safer, more sustainable products. When more people opt out of single-use plastics, it normalizes a culture of reuse, encourages better corporate practices, and sends a powerful message to policymakers. If you have the ability to make these changes, doing so not only benefits your own health and wallet, it helps create a healthier future for everyone.
To learn more about the health and environmental impacts of plastics and how to take action to make a change visit our End Plastics page.
This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is also cleared for use. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at [email protected] or [email protected]. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.
