Stuffed animals are commonly made out of fleece, a material that sheds microplastics. But eliminating these comfort items from your child's toy collection isn't necessarily the answer, one mom discovered.
What's happening?
Parent and reporter Danielle Venton was concerned about her child's fleece plushies, along with hats, clothing, blankets, and other items made from this plastic-derived material.
"It's plastic," she said in an article for KQED. "And plastic is a poison."
She explained that many fleece garments are made by combining virgin polyester and recycled soda bottles. Washing these items releases tiny microplastics into the environment, which end up in our air, drinking water, and food.
She expressed additional concern about her child handling these items and possibly inhaling the fibers.
Why are microplastics concerning?
Venton talked to a half dozen experts about her concerns. None of them suggested taking her son's stuffed animals away — while children might inhale some microplastics this way, they likely won't absorb much plastic through their skin.
However, "there is reason to be concerned" about plastic exposure, according to Tracey Woodruff, a researcher in reproductive health and the environment at UCSF, who spoke with Venton.
"The production of plastic is expected to double to triple in the next 20, 30 years," Woodruff said
Children are even more susceptible to plastics exposure than adults, Venton explained, as their bodies are smaller, and they crawl around on floors and put "everything" in their mouths.
Plastics contain a number of chemicals, including some that could be tied to cancer. Meanwhile, microplastics, tiny plastic particles that are formed when larger plastics like water bottles and single-use cutlery break down over time, have been linked to a number of negative health impacts, including cancer, dementia, and impaired blood flow in the brain.
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Definitely 👍 What can I do to protect myself and my children?
The experts Venton spoke to said that taking away one or two prized stuffed animals wouldn't do much in terms of reducing exposure to microplastics. They instead recommended taking actions like storing food and beverages in glass or metal containers, refraining from microwaving food in plastic containers, and not reusing takeout containers.
One also said that shifting away from plastic-derived materials and toward more natural ones could send a message to policymakers, purchasers, brands, and manufacturers and set the stage for real change when it comes to plastic production.
While each household must make their own decisions regarding fleece, Venton's new household policies include no new fleece items (hand-me-downs are OK); no "big" fleece items like blankets or sheets, which can result in more fiber inhalation; washing items on cold to help reduce microplastics shedding; not letting kids hang out around the dryer lint trap; and handing down old fleece items instead of throwing them away to reduce pollution.
What else is being done about microplastics?
A number of more eco-friendly alternatives to plastic are gaining traction, including the introduction of materials made of recycled seaweed and algae.
Scientists have also discovered how to break down plastics before they become a problem by using hungry wax worms and fungus. Plus, researchers are discovering new methods to remove microplastics from our water, including one method that uses egg whites.
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