Articles
Deep dives on the questions behind the product picks — why plastic exposure matters, which claims hold up, and how to think about materials. Sourced like everything else on the site.
How much microplastic do your clothes shed in the wash — and what actually reduces it?
Synthetic clothes shed plastic microfibers every wash, but the biggest levers aren't gadgets — they're which fabrics you own and how you wash and dry them. What the studies show, where they disagree, and the honest order of what helps most.
Fabric softener and dryer sheets: what's actually in them, and do you need them?
A dryer sheet is single-use polyester coated in softening chemistry; liquid softener leaves a similar film on your clothes. What that film does — to towels, activewear, and flame-resistant sleepwear — and why wool balls or nothing at all often works better.
Is there Teflon in your dental floss? The PFAS problem with 'glide' floss
The floss engineered to slide most easily is often made of PTFE — the same fluoropolymer as nonstick pans. Here's what the research actually shows, why "PFAS-free" claims need scrutiny, and what to floss with instead.
Are "plastic-free" laundry sheets actually plastic? The PVA question
Laundry detergent sheets and strips are marketed as the plastic-free swap for the jug — but they're bound with PVA, a water-soluble plastic, and so are conventional pods. What that means, what the science does and doesn't say, and how to sidestep the whole debate.
Do washing-machine microfiber filters actually work? (And is it weird that they're plastic?)
Synthetic clothes shed plastic microfibers every wash. Capture devices help — filters more than bags, bags more than balls — but they're all plastic themselves. Here's what the studies show and how to think about the tradeoff.
How to tell if a product is actually plastic-free before you buy
"Plastic-free" has no legal definition, so the burden of proof is on you. Where plastic hides, how to decode listings, and the exact questions that get manufacturers to answer straight.
Is silicone actually safe? What the research says
Silicone sits in the awkward middle of plastic-free living — not quite plastic, not quite inert. What migrates out of it, when heat matters, and how to buy the good stuff.
PTFE, PFOA, PFAS: the nonstick alphabet, decoded
Nonstick pans are where plastic-free shopping gets genuinely confusing. What each acronym means, what "PFOA-free" is hiding, whether ceramic coatings help, and what we'd cook on instead.
Plastic-free myths: what's true, what's marketing, what's overblown
BPA-free doesn't mean safe, "plastic-free" labels often aren't, and some scary claims don't hold up either. Eight common beliefs, checked against the evidence.
Why go plastic-free? An honest look at the evidence
Microplastics are in our blood, our food, and the headlines. Here's what the research actually shows, where it's still uncertain, and which swaps matter most.