Microplastics have turned up almost everywhere scientists have looked—including in us.
Here's what the research says, what remains uncertain, and one practical change you can make today. Over the last decade, microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs and placenta.¹ They've been measured in drinking water, seafood, salt and honey. In 2025, a review published in npj Science of Food examined the plastics we put our food in directly (bottles, cups, tea bags, packaging) and concluded that normal, intended use of these items releases micro- and nanoplastics into what we eat and drink.²
Not damaged plastic. Not plastic that's been microwaved or left in the sun. Ordinary use.
The problem with microplastics is you can't control most of them
You can't control the plastic in seafood or salt. You can't control whether bottled water picked up particles before it reached you. You can't change the food packaging at the supermarket.
But there's one place in your kitchen where you actually can: single-use plastic films and bags: cling film, plastic wraps, disposable bags.
These are different from your containers or bottles. They're designed to be used once and thrown away. They touch your food directly, often for hours at a time. And they're one of the few plastic items in your kitchen where there's a genuine alternative.
What beeswax wraps actually do
Take one out and it feels stiff. Press it between your hands for a few seconds and the wax softens. Press it onto a bowl of leftovers, half an avocado, a block of cheese, a sandwich, or a bunch of herbs. It moulds to the shape and holds that shape as it cools.
The seal is stronger than most people expect. Press a wrap over the top of a glass, tip the glass onto its side, the wrap holds and the liquid stays in the glass. It's worth trying once, because almost nobody believes it until they've seen it.
In practice, that means:
- Bowls of leftovers
- Half an avocado or tomato
- Blocks of cheese or bread
- Bunches of herbs
- Sandwiches in lunchboxes
- Works in the fridge, freezer, or room temperature
What it won't do: It won't microwave. It won't touch raw meat. For those, you should use use a container and that's fine. This isn't about replacing plastic entirely. It's about eliminating as much exposure to microplastic as we can.
Three rules, and it lasts 12-18 months
Most wraps fail for one of three reasons. All three are easy to avoid.
- Cool water only. Rinse gently with a sponge and hang to dry. Hot water melts the wax off the cotton, this is the most common way a wrap gets damaged.
- No dishwasher, no direct sunlight, nowhere hot. Heat breaks down the wax and resin. Store it in a drawer.
- No raw meat. Wax Wraps cannot be washed in hot water.
Follow these and a wrap will last 12-18 months and hundreds of uses.
At the end of its life
When a wrap finally stops clinging properly, put it in your home compost bin. It's made entirely from natural materials: cotton, beeswax, jojoba oil, resin and coconut oil; and will break down completely.
One change, real impact
You're not solving the microplastics problem. But you are removing one source of single-use plastic that sits in your kitchen and touches your food every week. For most households, that's dozens of pieces of cling film a month that don't end up in landfill.
References
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Microplastics in Humans: A Critical Review of Biomonitoring Evidence. Applied Sciences, 2025.
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Zimmermann, Geueke, Parkinson, Schür, Wagner & Muncke. Food contact articles as source of micro- and nanoplastics: a systematic evidence map. npj Science of Food, 2025.