Green Tips #8 – Lower Your Exposure to Microplastics

Green Tips is a monthly column featuring insights from Jason Giovannettone, Director of Climate & Sustainability for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. This series will offer practical, actionable advice to help our schools embrace more eco-friendly practices, aligning with our commitment to the Mercy Critical Concern for Earth.

As Mercy communities, we share a commitment to caring for creation, one of our five Critical Concerns. Part of that call is learning how everyday choices affect both our personal health and the health of our planet. One growing concern is the impact of microplastics: tiny pieces of plastic that are showing up in our food, air, and water.

Dr. Tracey Woodruff, a professor at the University of California in San Francisco, has published helpful information about ways we can reduce our daily exposure to microplastics. If you’d like to read more about the health risks connected with microplastics, please refer to this article: Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Human Digestive, Reproductive, and Respiratory Health: A Rapid Systematic Review.

Here are a few practical steps for Mercy students, staff, and families to consider:

• Bring lunch from home when possible, choosing fresh rather than processed or fast foods.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Foods lower on the food chain generally have fewer harmful chemicals.
• Encourage your school to offer condiments (like peanut butter, ketchup, or mayo) in bulk containers – preferable glass if practical – rather than single-use plastic packets.
• Pack your own meals for field trips to avoid unnecessary plastic waste.
• Use glass instead of plastic for heating up food in the microwave.
• Choose drinks in cans or cartons instead of plastic bottles. Advocate for more sustainable drink options at school such as canned water.
• When eating out, look for restaurants that are trying to be more sustainable (for example, Wendy’s uses customer-facing packaging made from cardboard sourced from sustainably managed forests).
• Ask about cleaning practices. Regular dusting and vacuums with HEPA filters help reduce microplastics in the air.
• Support fragrance-free products in your school’s cleaning and personal care supplies, since many fragrances are linked to microplastics.

Making all these changes at once might feel overwhelming, but even small steps—at home or at school—add up. As Mercy communities, we are called to care for creation and for one another’s well-being. Together, we can form habits that protect both our health and the Earth.