What microplastics are, and where they come from
Microplastics are plastic particles under 5mm in size. They shed from synthetic clothing, food packaging, plastic bottles, cookware and household dust — which is to say, from ordinary daily life rather than from anything exotic.
Estimates put human consumption at 39,000 to 52,000 particles per year. For people who drink bottled water, that figure more than doubles.
They have been found in human tissue
In recent years researchers have detected microplastics in human blood, in lung tissue, and in placental tissue. Each of those findings was novel when published; together they establish that the particles do not simply pass through.
What that means for health is still being worked out. Early research points to possible links with inflammation, oxidative stress, hormone disruption and altered immune function — and it is worth being honest that “possible links” is the accurate phrase today, not something stronger.
The chemicals inside the plastic
The particles are only half of it. Many plastics contain additives — phthalates and bisphenols such as BPA and BPS — which mimic hormones and interfere with the endocrine system. These have been associated with metabolic dysfunction, reproductive issues, and increased risk of obesity and diabetes.
“BPA-free” is not the reassurance it appears to be. Replacements such as BPS can carry similar hormonal effects.
Heat accelerates leaching, which makes hot food in plastic the specific situation worth avoiding.
How to reduce your exposure
- Skip plastic containers and cookware — use glass, stainless steel or ceramic
- Never heat food in plastic — heat accelerates chemical leaching
- Choose fresh over packaged — less packaging means fewer particles
- Filter your water and store it in glass or steel — bottled water is among the largest single sources
None of these require a change in diet, only in what the food touches.
Why Locale delivers in glass
Prepared meal delivery is a case where the packaging decision is made for you, and most of the category ships in single-use plastic trays designed to be microwaved — hot food, in plastic, by design.
Locale delivers every meal in reusable glass jars, collected weekly, sanitised and reused. Ingredients are separately third-party lab tested by Light Labs for heavy metals, pesticides, phthalates and PFAS, with the results published. A different panel, run per batch, covers 30+ quality tests including heavy metals, pesticide residues and microplastics.
We compared the packaging choices across services in Factor and CookUnity alternatives without plastic trays, and covered the testing side in microplastics and heavy metals in prepared meals. The packaging and heating pathway is covered on its own in do ready meals contain microplastics?
Frequently asked questions
How many microplastics do people consume?
Estimates put it at 39,000 to 52,000 particles per year, more than doubling for people who regularly drink bottled water.
Have microplastics really been found in the human body?
Yes. Studies have detected them in human blood, in lung tissue and in placental tissue. What they do once there is still being researched.
Is BPA-free plastic safe?
Not necessarily. Many BPA-free plastics use BPS instead, which can have similar or stronger hormonal effects. The label addresses one compound, not the category.
What is the single biggest thing I can change?
Stop heating food in plastic. Heat accelerates the leaching of additives, so hot food in a plastic container is the highest-exposure everyday situation.
What packaging does Locale use?
Reusable glass jars, collected each week, sanitised and reused — not single-use plastic trays.
Sources
- Cox et al., 2019 — Human consumption of microplastics.
- Leslie et al., 2022 — Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood.
- Amato-Lourenço et al., 2021 — Presence of airborne microplastics in human lung tissue.
- Ragusa et al., 2021 — Plasticenta: first evidence of microplastics in human placenta.
- Heindel et al., 2017 — Metabolism disrupting chemicals and metabolic disorders.
- Locale — packaging and published Light Labs results, shoplocale.com.