Join our Lynnhurst team, Lynnhurst Plastic-Free, to reduce plastic in February 2026.
Plastic is an environmental disaster for this century. In this post we explain why plastic is such a problem, and how you can reduce your plastic exposure.
Plastic is made from fossil fuels and can exist for hundreds of years, breaking down into tiny particles. It pollutes our Earth every step of its life from raw material extraction to its disposal.
Plastic requires many chemicals to make it strong, make it soft, and give it the characteristics needed for packaging, bags, utensils, and all the various things made from plastic. The chemicals in plastic packaging can leach into our food and are harmful to our health. Some are cancer causing and are endocrine disrupters which affect the hormones in our bodies.
Further, Consumer Reports tested General Mills food products and found some of them high in phthalates. These are chemicals to which we do not want our children exposed. See the link below about the phthalates’ legislation.
Plastic sheds and breaks down into microplastics. Studies show these microplastics have been found in every organ in our bodies. Plastic sheds microplastic into our food, our water and our air. The impact of microplastics on our health is still being studied, but none of us want microplastics in our brains or lungs. Again, the accumulation of plastic in our bodies is an especially serious issue for our children and their small developing bodies.
Recycling plastic has been a failure. Most plastics end up in landfills or incinerators rather than being recycled. Despite efforts to recycle, a large percentage of plastic waste is not processed due to contamination, lack of recycling infrastructure, or the degradation of material quality. Some plastic waste is exported to countries not equipped to handle this waste. Recycling plastic also takes the focus away from reducing and finding alternatives to single use plastic.
We can all see plastic litter, but we can’t see the harmful chemicals or the microplastics that are shed. We all should limit our exposure to plastic and below are some easy ways to begin.
Ways to reduce your plastic exposure:
- Always carry a reusable glass or metal water bottle, and reusable shopping bags with you.
- Never use Styrofoam!
- Never heat foods in plastic!
- Learn to refuse single-use plastics, such as plastic water bottles and coffee cups, straws, plastic bags and plastic utensils.
- Purchase fruit and produce in the bulk section, and don’t place items in plastic bags.
- Always search for products in glass jars instead of plastic containers.
- When you must buy plastic products, choose ones that you can recycle rather than ones you must put in the trash.
- Bring your own containers and shop the bulk section of your local food co-op.
- Purchase clothing made from cotton and wool instead of polyester or poly fibers.
- Store food in glass containers instead of plastic.
- Ditch the baggies and black plastic!
Check out these links for additional information:
Coalition for Plastic Reduction MN | Take Action Now
Test and Report Phthalates in Packaged Food Bill — Coalition for Plastic Reduction MN
Will Sullivan, “Plastics Contain Thousands More Chemicals Than Thought, and Most Are Unregulated, Report Finds,” Smithsonian Magazine, March 19, 2024.
“Are There Plastic Liners in Your Aluminum Cans and Other Packaging?” Glass Packaging Institute website.
Priyadarshini Mirmira and Carmella Evans-Molina, “Bisphenol A, Obesity, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Genuine Concern or Unnecessary Preoccupation?” National Library of Medicine, March 13, 2014.
Steve Inskeep, “The dangers and health risks associated with black plastic,” National Public Radio, December 16, 2024.
Ann M Vuong, “Flame retardants and neurodevelopment: An updated review of epidemiological literature,” National Library of Medicine, last accessed Jan. 5, 2026.
Matt Fuchs, “Are Plastic Cutting Boards Safe?” TIME, November 24, 2025.
Katia Savchuk, “Microplastics and our health: What the science says,” Stanford Medicine, January 29, 2025.
Questions?
Contact environment@lynnhurst.org.