Toxic Chemicals Don’t Belong in Our Bodies

Plastics have become so woven into modern life that they’re now found in nearly everything we touch—from clothing and packaging to cookware and personal-care items. Over time, plastic breaks down and releases microplastics and chemical additives like BPA, phthalates, and styrene. These particles can enter our bodies through food, water, air, and even household dust.

The good news: small everyday choices can dramatically reduce how much plastic you bring into your home—and your body.

How to Reduce Plastic Exposure

Skip Single-Use Plastics

• Bring reusable grocery bags, produce bags, and shopping totes.
• Carry reusable containers for restaurant leftovers (“doggie bags”).
• Use a refillable coffee mug or non-plastic water bottle when on the go.
• Shop bulk food sections and zero-waste stores using clean containers from home. Check out Newton’s very own Fulfilled Goods.

Choose Safer Food Storage, Prep, and Cookware

• Swap plastic wrap and baggies for beeswax wraps, silicone bags, or glass containers.
• Avoid heating food in any plastic—microwaving, dishwashers, and hot liquids all increase chemical leaching and microplastic shedding. This includes paper coffee cups, which are lined with plastic.
• Replace plastic cooking utensils—especially black plastic, which often contains heavy metals and flame retardants—with wood, stainless steel, silicone, or ceramic.
• Transfer take-out meals from plastic (particularly black plastic) into safer containers as soon as you get home.
• Phase out older or scratched plastic containers and choose glass, ceramic, or stainless steel for long-term food storage.

Improve Air & Water Quality

• Install a high-quality water filter (reverse osmosis or certified carbon block) to reduce microplastics in drinking water.
• Use a HEPA air purifier and vacuum to capture airborne microplastic fibers.
• Dust regularly and clean dryer vents to reduce indoor accumulation.
• Consider microfiber-catching laundry devices for synthetic clothing.

Choose Lower-Plastic Lifestyles

• Use bar dish soaps, compostable loofahs, and reusable cloth towels instead of disposable sponges and paper towels.
• Shift toward natural-fiber clothing (cotton, hemp, linen, wool) to reduce microfiber shedding.
• Advocate for less plastic in playground equipment and sports fields. Recycled tire surfaces and artificial turf playing fields will shed microplastic over time.

PFAS are a vast group of synthetic chemicals used to make products resistant to heat, stains, water, and grease. They appear in nonstick pans, waterproof jackets, carpeting, upholstery, cosmetics, food packaging, and even dental floss. Because PFAS don’t break down in the environment or in our bodies, they accumulate over time—earning the nickname “forever chemicals.” Research links PFAS exposure to cancer, hormonal disruption, immune suppression, thyroid disease, fertility challenges, and developmental issues in children.

While PFAS are widespread, targeted lifestyle changes can significantly reduce your exposure.

How to Reduce PFAS Exposure

Rethink Personal Care Items

• Look for PFAS-free labels in cosmetics—particularly long-wear, waterproof, and smudge-proof formulas.
• Choose PTFE-free dental floss (avoid “glide” or “slick” flosses).
• Opt for personal products with simpler ingredient lists to limit unnecessary chemical exposure.

Avoid Stain-Resistant Furniture & Coatings

• Skip Scotchgard and similar stain-proofing sprays; these often contain persistent PFAS chemicals.
• When buying furniture, choose fabrics that are naturally easy to clean (polyester, leather, microfiber) without additional chemical coatings, or select darker colors to mask stains naturally.
• Maintain fabrics with simple cleaning methods—vacuuming, spot cleaning, and laundering instead of dry cleaning when possible.

Choose Safer Cookware, Kitchenware & Food Packaging

• Replace Teflon/PTFE nonstick pans with stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, or ceramic-coated alternatives.
• Avoid grease-resistant or “nonstick” papers, liners, baking supplies, and cooking sprays that may contain PFAS.
• Limit fast food and takeout packaged in grease-proof wrappers, bowls, or bags—these are common PFAS sources.
• Skip microwave popcorn bags, which are often coated with PFAS; choose stovetop or air-popped popcorn instead.
• Bring your own clean takeout container when allowed, and transfer hot or greasy foods from PFAS-lined packaging into glass or stainless steel

Filter PFAs from your water

• Install a water filter certified to reduce PFAS (such as certain activated carbon, reverse osmosis, or ion exchange systems).
• Replace filters on schedule for consistent effectiveness.

Choose Safer Clothing & Textiles

• Avoid water-resistant or stain-resistant coatings unless clearly labeled PFAS-free.
• Many “performance” features—like “waterproof,” “stain shield,” or “repellent”—signal PFAS use.
• Air out or wash new clothing and textiles before use to reduce chemical residues.

Pesticides and herbicides are chemicals used to control weeds, insects, and other pests in conventional agriculture, landscaping, and even home gardens. They can linger on food, drift through the air, seep into soil and water, and accumulate in our bodies over time. Exposure has been linked to hormone disruption, neurological issues, reproductive harm, and certain cancers. Children and pets are especially vulnerable due to their smaller size and developing systems.

While avoiding all exposure is impossible, simple habits can dramatically reduce your risk.

How to Reduce Exposure to Pesticides & Herbicides

Choose Safer Produce

• Refer to the “Dirty Dozen” list to choose which fruits and vegetables to buy organic, focusing on those with the most pesticide residues.
• Shop at Newton’s Farmers’ Markets whenever possible. Local farmers often grow produce with fewer or no synthetic pesticides, and you can ask directly about their growing practices.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables under running water; scrub firm items like melons and cucumbers.
• Soak produce in a baking soda solution (2 tsp per quart of water for a few minutes) to help break down pesticide residues.
• Peel produce when possible, especially high-residue items, but remember peeling also removes fiber and nutrients.

Avoid Stain-Resistant Furniture & Coatings

• Skip Scotchgard and similar stain-proofing sprays; these often contain persistent PFAS chemicals.
• When buying furniture, choose fabrics that are naturally easy to clean (polyester, leather, microfiber) without additional chemical coatings, or select darker colors to mask stains naturally.
• Maintain fabrics with simple cleaning methods—vacuuming, spot cleaning, and laundering instead of dry cleaning when possible.

Rethink Lawn & Garden Care

• Skip chemical herbicides and pesticides on lawns, gardens, and public spaces.
• Favor native plants, which are naturally resistant to pests and require fewer chemical interventions.
• Use non-toxic alternatives like mulching, hand-weeding, vinegar-based sprays, or introducing beneficial insects.
• Keep children and pets away from recently treated areas.

Take Action in Newton

• Advocate for schools, parks, and community gardens to adopt organic or low-chemical maintenance.
• Encourage pollinator-friendly landscaping and the reduction of herbicide use in public spaces.
• Share tips and resources with neighbors to collectively reduce pesticide exposure.