Plastic is everywhere, literally. But have you ever wondered how it was made, how it travels through our homes and environment, or how it eventually ends up in our food and bodies? While the journey is complex, understanding it is the first step towards creating positive change, for your health and the environment. So, let’s explore the lifecycle of plastic, and what you can do to start breaking it. 

Production

The creation of most plastics starts with the extraction of fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas. These resources are then refined into polymers which can be manufactured into products we use every day, such as water bottles, clothing, microbeads in exfoliants, tires, and packaging. 

Utilization

Once plastic products are used, small pieces of that plastic are often washed directly into the water supply, and into the environment. Larger items break down over time with heat or wear and tear, slowly following a similar path. Once their purpose is fulfilled, the larger objects are often thrown away, and will end up in a landfill if not properly recycled.

Fragmentation

Once they reach their final destination, whether it be in the environment or landfill, plastic doesn’t decompose like organic material. Instead, it undergoes fragmentation. Heat and friction cause it to slowly break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. As this process continues, they eventually become even smaller specks called nanoplastics. So even as these plastics break down into smaller pieces, they never truly go away. 

Transportation

At such small sizes, microplastics can move easily between ecosystems. For example, rain washes the dust from tire wear into sewers and waterways which eventually flow into the ocean. Wastewater containing microplastics shed from washing clothes or plastic items is often used as fertilizer, introducing plastic directly to agricultural soil. Those that make their way to the ocean float through the water or sink into seabeds, absorbing and releasing pollutants along the way. They can even get picked up by the wind and carried via the atmosphere to remote locations. 

Accumulation

Microplastics can also move up the food chain, getting into our food and water supply. Those that settle in soil are taken up into the roots of the plants, which are then eaten by animals, or by us. Microplastics in the ocean are often mistaken for food and eaten by fish. They can then settle in these animals' edible tissues where they are often eaten by other animals, or as meat on our plates. Even in our homes, plastic dust floats from synthetic fabrics and enters our bodies through the air we breathe. Or, we accidentally add them to our food and drinks via storage containers made with plastics!

Implications

Luckily, the body naturally removes some microplastics through natural processes and bodily functions. However, when we are overexposed to plastics, the amount we take into our body is greater than the amount we can remove, and it can build up in our systems. While research is still mounting, it shows that this buildup could potentially pose a risk for human health, animals, and the Earth too. This is all the more reason that we all need to prioritize this issue, for the good of everyone around us.

Solutions

It’s important that we do our part to limit the creation of microplastics and their release into their environment. The best way to start is with proper disposal. Recycled plastics are melted down for reuse, preventing them from ending up in landfills and avoiding the unnecessary creation of new plastics to begin with. In addition, mission-driven companies have started innovating the same products we use every day, made entirely plastic-free — a powerful first step in breaking the cycle!

At Pura Stainless, we were inspired by this same mission to create our line of 100% plastic-free water bottles, baby bottles, and food containers for people of all ages. The first and only line of its kind, our bottles are also the only bottles on the global market to be MADE SAFE® certified, tested for both human and environmental safety. To start your journey to reducing plastic pollution, we invite you to shop our 100% plastic-free products and other MADE SAFE® certified products today.