Microplastics, plastic generally and bottled water

[GrannyGardener]

If only supermarkets stopped selling bottled water that would make a big difference.

You'd have to filter all the water on the planet, including the ice caps. Too late, as I say. Microplastics are already in the food chain from bacteria up to us.

I think Yorkshire Tea and Twinings are a bit better but loose organic is the best.

Not too late.

Everything is cyclical. If it can get there, it can be removed.

It might take many years but it's not impossible.

As a general rule, heat + plastic = really bad, as it breaks down the particles much more. So if you do nothing else, avoid anything I heated plastic. Water boiled in plastic kettles (get a metal one), coffee in takeaway cups (get a metal one), takeaway food heated in a microwave (decant it into glass first).. etc.

Water is also a quick win, we all have metal Chilly bottles and refill from taps.

I dread to think about everything else - we were in the supermarket today and at a certain point the sea of it becomes overwhelming. But I do think the only weapon we have, ultimately, is purchasing choice. Refuse it where you can. (Obviously governments and corporations should ban it, but they won’t.)

Here's another thing in the kitchen if we want to reduce the microplastics - cleaning cloths. I've binned the microfibre cloths in favour of J-cloths - they're cotton (good obviously) or viscose (not perfect). For scouring cloths I've bought some Scrubbies on-line. 100% cotton and very colourful. Small changes.

Yes, we have cotton cloths and coconut fibre scourers, occasionally metal ones.

Oh, and avoid plastic lined/ non stick pans. All the PFAS stuff now coming out about those is awful. Metal and ceramic all the way.

The sad thing is, farmers have been recycling human waste on fields and it's riddled with micro-plastics. And now those plastics are are inhibiting photosynthesis in plants recorded up to 12%. Lots of micro-plastics in the environment from car tyres. In the home, plastic dander gets into the body and internal organs as it lands on drinks and you consume them. The majority of dissected male testicles have recently been found to contain these micro-plastics. So small air filters are probably a good idea and/or active ventilation systems.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/microplastic-pollution-is-messing-with-photosynthesis-in-plants/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/20/microplastics-human-testicles-study-sperm-counts

how awful. Do you have an air filter you use or can recommend? Been thinking of getting one for ages.

I do hate seeing so many people buying bottled water but some of us actually really need it, think frothy water, sometimes white, sometimes smelly. There’s a lot of issues with pipes and roadworks near here and we bear the brunt of it- our water gets cut off four or five times a year. My mum lives in Dublin and her water tastes better than bottled water. I think they could do with stopping fizzy water, to be fair

What kettle and glass containers did you buy?

@watchseehear we have yet to get air filters. I have been campaigning at home to remove acrylic clothing and blankets. We have wool carpets / wood in most rooms. You only need to have a nice beam of sunlight in the room to expose the amount of crap that is just floating about. As my campaigning is failing I think the air filter route is the way to go. You can get basic Lavoit ones for about £50. But other mumsnetters may have a recommendation. They make money through further filter purchasing. But I figure one in the bedroom and one in the living room would probably help.

*tothelefttotheleft *i bought some Swiss glass containers in our local cooking shop and they are called Zyliss. The lid is probably plastic but doesn't need to touch the food and I liked them as they look lovely and you can see through the lid !
my kettle is just an ordinary one and says Go Cook on it, I probably got it at Tesco

It's exhausting and depressing, I've been so concerned about the climate crisis for 45 years or so but have just decided I'll go mad if I don't stop thinking about it all the time. It feels hopeless and I'm not buying air filters for my home! I'll just open the windows and spend as much time in the outdoors/countryside as I can before the grim reaper mows me down.

@toffeeappleturnip
I got one of these a couple of years ago. It's brilliant!
https://amzn.eu/d/ciRzFR1

This I read a study some where and every cadaver contained forever chemicals and microplastics. The microplastics were mainly found in testicles and kidneys. I think people underestimate quite how widespread this issue already is.

That is a thing of beauty!

Thank you so much.

Ordering one now

Same here in south east. Wish it didn't hit that bleach smell is so off putting I have to buy bottled water - just cheap supermarket own

That's how bad ours is. Literally undrinkable and I'm not far from frinton

Ireland has the best tasting water on the planet. Absolutely adore drinking tap water there.

Where I live in England I have chlorine smelling water. Its rank so have to use bottled water

Plastic chopping boards are a fairly direct source of microplastics. If you use them, toss. Wood is best or glass if you don’t want wood.

Heating plastic in any way should be avoided. PLA (biodegradable plastic) is found in “non plastic” teabags like Teapigs, Twinings and Yorkshire Tea and also biodegradable takeaway coffee cups are shown to degrade microplastics with heat.

Buy rolled or broken leaf tea - the leaves aren’t just dust. Better cuppa and all caught in the strainer.

I'm so looking forward to this new way of making my tea.
I've already ordered the fine tea strainer.
I might now treat myself to a lovely teapot.

I can't wait to peruse all the lovely teas!

I get mine online from The Tea Makers of London. I used to use BrewTea Company who were excellent but switched their delivery to Evri which is impossibly crap round here and I couldn’t take the stress! I have Assam.

Chewing gum is also made of single use plastic! So don’t swallow it if you’re in the habit of doing so. There are some non plastic ones like Nuud but they’re not very good.

What do you mean by "Of course it doesn't"? Where I live currently (West Yorkshire) the water is undrinkable.