5 Ways To Reduce Microplastics In Your Home

4 March 2026

Toby Patrick

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The topic of microplastics is bigger than ever. Microplastics are plastic particles that gradually release from plastic as it degrades, and there has been an urgent call for increased research over fears for the impact it can have on human biology. Aside from benefitting your overall health and gut health, reducing microplastics in your home can also help the environment, reducing single use items and in many cases, also helping you to save money.

Three glass containers with colorful salads, featuring corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, greens, and lentils on a light textured surface.

Microplastics are all over our home, so we’re here with 5 simple swaps you can make to reduce them, support the health of your family and help the environment.

Swap plastic tupperware for glass

Glass tupperware may require an upfront investment, but it is so worth it. Plastic containers can release microplastics during heating or storage, not to mention they don’t last very long and they also can absorb food odours and colours. Instead, if you make a simple swap to glass containers, you will keep them for years, they’re more food safe, they don’t hold smell and it keeps food fresher. When buying, check they’re safe for the microwave and oven, then you’re good to go! You can also make use of glass jars from cooking as storage for things like fruit and homemade sauces in the fridge, so you can get rid of smaller plastic tupperware, too.

Get milk in glass bottles delivered

The milkman is making a comeback, and a great way to reduce microplastics and single use plastic in your home is to get milk in glass bottles delivered! Family companies like McQueens Dairies deliver fresh, local milk straight to your door, with the option to get your milk delivered in glass bottles. It will be dropped outside your front door before 7am (also making mornings easier!). Then when you’re done, simply rinse and put outside your door again. It’ll be collected by the milkman on their next round, washed, sterilized and then re-used up to 25 times! You’re helping the environment, reducing microplastics and you can enjoy fresh milk. They also offer milk alternatives like oat milk in glass bottles if anyone in your house is dairy-free.

Choose stainless steel reusable water bottles

Next up, you should swap out single use plastic bottles, or reusable plastic bottles, for stainless steel versions. Not only will it keep your water colder for much longer (many options for up to 12 hours), but there is no risk of microplastics, they’re more durable and there is no risk of chemical leaching. When you’re out and about, if you pop into any cafe, they’ll more than likely fill your bottle up for you, so you don’t need to worry about buying an extra plastic bottle whilst you’re out. Next Christmas, make this a stocking filler for your whole family and it can make a huge difference!

Swap non-stick pans for cast iron

Swapping your pans that have non-stick coating out for cast iron removes toxic coatings that can release chemicals and microplastics into food. Cast iron pans can last forever when seasoned properly, so are absolutely worth the investment. They’re also so handy for cooking one pot meals, as you can place the entire thing in your oven (of course, making sure to remove very carefully with oven gloves, and being careful after as they’re very good at retaining heat). You won’t look back after making this simple swap!

Switch to bars of soap and shampoo bars

Lastly, get rid of your bottled soaps and shampoos and swap out for bars. Not only can the containers release microplastics, but often the contents of the bottles themselves are full of different chemicals. However, when you choose bars of soap, shampoo and conditioner instead, the ingredients are much more simple and do just as good of a job, if not better as they’re kinder on your skin and hair. You can get bars of soap really easily, more so now than in recent years as more people are making the swap. You’ll save money here too which is an added bonus!

Even one small swap can make a positive impact to our health and the environment, so over the next few months, perhaps budget for one change per month and you can transform your home in as little as 5 months. This is such an exciting project to get started on, and one that will benefit you massively.

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When is too early for Christmas in UK Supermarkets?

Connor Banks
Sep 11, 2024
2 min read

There I was, on a crisp summer’s morning on the first weekend in September. Going about my usual day of food shopping at our local supermarket when I noticed something peculiar. As the temperature caused me to sweat with a nice cool 20C, a strange sight lay before me. “It’s Christmas Time!” the newly opened section of the supermarket proclaimed. Filled to the brim with perishable Christmas foods and Christmas themed gifts. Bemused by the sight, I pulled out my phone, wondering if between the freezer sections I had time travelled to the middle of November when these sections are usually up and everywhere. Only to see that the date read “4th September”. Confused, I wondered, why are the Christmas items and sections out for sale in early September? Surely most people would think this is too early to start getting into the Christmas spirit and filling yourself full of mince pies. After all, if you bought them now they’d pass their best before or use by dates before Christmas was even upon us. So my question is, when is too early for Christmas for these supermarkets?

Every year since I can remember it’s felt like supermarkets are opening their Christmas sections earlier and earlier. It used to be reserved for December and maybe November, but now you’d have a harder time finding a supermarket without a Christmas section in the summer. What is it that is driving this? Well for starters about 30% of Brits reportedly start their christmas shopping in September so maybe these sections are to cater to this sizable portion of the public that are in need of things like wrapping paper, gift bags, and christmas cards so that they can get things ready as they go throughout the months towards the big day.

But whilst this answers the question about gift wrapping and gift bags etc it then raises the question of, why do they need baked goods like mince pies that will go off before December even arrives? Well apparently, once again, another sizable portion of the population do. By the time November comes around a reported 5.5 million mince pies were sold. So despite them being a very seasonal item that people tend to enjoy in the days leading up to winter, a good portion of our nation loves this British sweet treat so much that they’ll have it as soon as they hit shelves in early September.

So I guess the lesson from this is that there apparently isn't a too early. The supermarkets make money off it otherwise they wouldn’t do it which means plenty of people are buying these goods all across the UK. Even if most of us wouldn't want to be reminded of the fact that the summer is coming to an end and with it comes the cold and ice of winter and of course the rapid commercialisation of our longest traditions.