Plastic has become a central part of our everyday lives, especially in our kitchens, fragmenting on a daily basis and ending up in the food we eat. Though various plastics can be recycled at Recycle Utah, we encourage you to limit your everyday use of plastic in order to make a positive impact on the environment and your personal health.

Did you know that microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, are now being found in our brains? A recent study of brain samples found that an average of 0.5% of our brains are made up of plastic by weight. Samples from dementia patients contained 10 times this amount on average. This raises serious concerns about our long-term health as we become more and more reliant on plastics.

The good news is that we can all reduce our exposure to microplastics. Try to avoid foods served in styrofoam containers, as well as items packaged in clear plastic bags or food wraps like those used for bread and produce. In doing this, you can avoid the two main culprits that infiltrate our bodies, polystyrene and polyethylene. Additionally, consider reducing your plastic use in the kitchen by switching to glass, metal, or wood cookware and containers.

By Elsa Kerr