Plastics are in your blood. We are fighting back.
Microplastics have been detected in human blood, breast milk, placentas, and the lungs of newborns. The average person now consumes the equivalent of a credit card's worth of plastic every week.
Plastic Free Rating independently evaluates the products in your home — and tells you exactly which ones to replace first, and why.
What the Research Tells Us
These are not hypothetical risks. They are documented findings from peer-reviewed research published in journals including Nature Medicine, The Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine.
The estimated amount of microplastic the average person ingests every week, according to a 2019 WWF-commissioned study.
Microplastics have been found in the lungs of newborn babies, indicating exposure begins before birth through the placenta.
A 2022 study found microplastic particles in the blood of 77% of healthy adult donors — the first direct evidence of systemic circulation.
Patients with microplastics in their arterial plaque had a 4.5 times higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death within 34 months.
Brands Held to the Same Standard
Lululemon, Vuori, Nike, and Athleta market to health-conscious consumers — but their fabrics are almost entirely petroleum-based plastic. We rate them the same way we rate everyone else.
CRITICAL: Lululemon's Nulu™ fabric (used in Align leggings) is 81% nylon, 19% Lycra — both petroleum-based plastics. These leggings are worn skin-tight against your entire lower body during exercise, when pores are open and sweating maximizes absorption. Nylon sheds microplastics with every wash and every wear.
Vuori's Performance Jogger is approximately 88% polyester, 12% elastane — both fully synthetic plastics. Polyester sheds an estimated 700,000 microplastic fibers per wash cycle. Worn during exercise when sweating, these fibers and chemical additives absorb directly through open pores.
CRITICAL: Athleta's tights are worn skin-tight against the entire lower body during exercise. Their primary fabric is Econyl® recycled nylon — which, while better for the environment than virgin nylon, is still 100% synthetic plastic that sheds microplastics and sits against your skin during your most absorptive state (sweating, exercising).
CRITICAL: Nike's Dri-FIT fabric is 83% polyester, 17% spandex — both fully synthetic plastics. Dri-FIT is specifically engineered to pull sweat toward the fabric surface, which means it is in constant, intimate contact with your skin during exercise. Polyester is the most prolific microplastic shedder of all synthetic fabrics.
CRITICAL: Underwear is in continuous direct contact with the body's most sensitive and absorptive tissue for 12–16 hours per day. Ethika's Staple boxer briefs are made from 65% polyester and 35% cotton — the polyester component sheds microplastics directly against genital tissue and is linked to disrupted microbiomes and hormonal effects. The waistband and leg bands contain additional synthetic elastic.
How We Evaluate Every Product
We rate every product on two independent dimensions: how plastic-free it actually is, and how dangerous the plastic exposure is to your health. No brand can buy a better score.
Material Composition
What the product is made of, and whether it contains hidden plastics, BPA, phthalates, or synthetic coatings.
Packaging
Whether the product ships in plastic-free, compostable, or recyclable packaging — including inner wrapping.
Brand Transparency
Does the brand publish full material disclosures? Do they hold third-party certifications like GOTS, OEKO-TEX, or B Corp?
Exposure Risk
How dangerous is the plastic in this category? Activewear worn while sweating scores 10/10. An outdoor fixture scores 1/10.
Products That Earned Their Score
Reusable Silicone Storage Bags
100% pure platinum silicone bags that replace single-use plastic zip bags entirely. Dishwasher-safe, freezer-safe, and oven-safe up to 400°F.
Organic Beeswax Wraps
Made from organic cotton, beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. A completely plastic-free alternative to cling wrap.
Classic Insulated Water Bottle
18/8 food-grade stainless steel with no plastic lining. Klean Kanteen's bottles are certified by the Clean Production Action BizNGO program.
Bamboo Toothbrush
The handle is 100% USDA certified biobased bamboo. The bristles are plant-based nylon, the most plastic-free bristle option currently available.
Moisturizing Shampoo Bar
A solid shampoo bar that eliminates the plastic bottle entirely. Each bar replaces 2–3 bottles of liquid shampoo. Sulfate-free and color-safe.
Wide-Neck Glass Baby Bottles
Borosilicate glass bottles with a protective silicone sleeve. No plastic touches your baby's milk. The nipples are 100% natural rubber.
Every Room in Your Home
We research the products your family touches every day — from the kitchen to the bedroom to the gym.
The plastic-free market is full of greenwashing. Families deserve better.
Thousands of products claim to be "plastic-free," "non-toxic," and "sustainable." Most of those claims are unverified, misleading, or simply false. Meanwhile, the science on plastic-related health risks grows more alarming every year.
Plastic Free Rating was built to cut through the noise. We independently evaluate every product we list, publish our scores publicly, and hold every brand — including the biggest names in the industry — to the same standard.
The PFR Approved Seal
Brands that score 9.0+ across all criteria earn the right to display the PFR Approved seal. It cannot be purchased — only earned through independent review. It tells consumers that a product has been genuinely vetted, not just marketed.
- Independent review — no fee influences the score
- Featured in our curated directory and weekly newsletter
- Licensable badge for packaging and marketing
One Swap. One Study. Every Week.
Each week we share one science-backed plastic swap and the peer-reviewed research behind it. No overwhelm — just one actionable step for your family's health.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We never share your email.
Editorially Independent
Our ratings are never influenced by sponsorships. Brands cannot purchase higher scores. Sponsorship fees cover directory placement only — never editorial decisions.
Peer-Reviewed Sources
Every health claim on this site cites published, peer-reviewed research. We link directly to the source studies so you can verify everything we say.
Held Accountable
We rate major brands the same way we rate small independents. If a product contains harmful plastics, we say so — regardless of who makes it.