Everyone you know is talking about microplastics, from the people on the news and social media to your next door neighbour and the friends you had for dinner last week.
Microplastics can be found in everything from the food you eat and the water you drink to the soil in your garden and even the air you breathe. And, while more study is needed, early research suggests that an excess of microplastics in your body can cause health issues and illnesses.
We can’t avoid microplastics entirely but there are ways to reduce the number of microplastics you’re taking into your body and in the kitchen is the best place to start.
Who are the culprits?
The main villains, that we can do something about, are in our kitchens. These can be one of the easiest places for microplastics to get into our bodies through our food and drinks.
Whether you’re drinking straight from the tap – possibly drinking water that has microplastics in it from the lakes it comes from – to cutting food on plastic chopping boards, you’re potentially adding microplastics into your body in ways you can easily avoid.
The biggest culprits within your kitchen are:
- Plastic chopping boards
- Silicone spatulas and cookware
- Non-stick pans
- Plastic tupperware
All the items above can add microplastics to your food purely due to the breakdown of the plastic they’re made of, whether by heat, age, sunlight or other natural processes.
How can you Avoid Microplastics in the Kitchen?
All of these culprits can be easily avoided in your kitchen if you want to reduce the number of microplastics you ingest. Here are some of my suggestions:
Chuck Your Chewed-Up Chopping Boards
It won’t surprise you that I’m a big fan of wooden chopping boards – I’ve even written a blog recently about why they’re even better than you think – and they’re the easiest switch for a plastic chopping board to give you the functionality that you need without the microplastic stowaways.
With hygroscopic and antibacterial properties, wood is the best material you can use for chopping boards in your kitchen. Plus, those properties mean that it’s naturally sterilised, giving you the confidence that everything you cut and prepare will be microplastic free and much safer for you to eat.
If you’re looking to upgrade your chopping boards today, take a look at some of the options available in the Colwill & Co shop or get in touch to request a custom piece.
Ditch the Non-Stick
When looking for an alternative for non-stick pans, without the coating that could flake microplastics off into your foods, your best bet is stainless steel.
While it’s perceived to be harder to cook with, compared to a “non-stick” pan, making stainless steel work for you is easy. It’s simply a matter of properly pre-heating the pan before using it; don’t put any food into the pan to cook until it’s heated enough to make water droplets “dance” across the surface.
Bring Back the Beech
Again, it won’t be a surprise that I’m an advocate for wooden utensils in the kitchen over silicone. Once again, the hygroscopic and antibacterial properties of the wood makes wooden cooking utensils a much better choice over plastic and silicone, as long as you look after them properly.
Never put wooden cooking or serving utensils in the dishwasher and always make sure they’re washed and dried quickly after using, since excessive heat and water can crack or warp them.
There’s a great selection of beech salad tongs and spatulas in the Colwill & Co shop right now, take a look and get that silicone out of your kitchen.
Trade in the Tupperware
Tupperware containers are so tempting – everyone’s got a packed cupboard with a mass of mismatched lids and boxes – but every time you reheat food in the tupperware or scrape out the contents (with a plastic spoon), you’re potentially adding microplastics into that food. Instead, look to invest in some glass or metal containers.
And Finally…
While microplastic is the new buzzword in the news at the moment, and there’s still more research to be done to understand the full impact of them on humans, it’s a good idea to get ahead of the curve and reduce your intake where you can. By making these changes, you’ll be setting yourself up for safer eating and living.
For more information on microplastics in the kitchen regarding the actual food you eat and the water you drink, take a look at this BBC article on the subject: https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250919-how-to-eat-less-plastic