If you’re not concerned about plastics, you should be.
Plastic doesn’t return harmlessly to nature. It breaks into ever smaller microplastics and nanoplastics that now appear in our food, water, air, blood, and even human brain tissue. In one major study, people whose carotid-artery plaque contained plastic particles were more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, or death during nearly three years of follow-up. The study found an association, not proof, that plastics caused those events. Still, it is another flashing warning light.
The scale of the problem can feel paralyzing. It shouldn’t. We can cut demand today.
Start with single-use plastic. Bring cloth bags to farmers markets and grocery stores. Choose paper, glass, or metal packaging. Trader Joe’s sells some apples in paper cartons. Sprouts offers shampoo and conditioner bars wrapped in paper. When plastic bags are unavoidable, wash, dry, and reuse them.
SLO Citizens’ Climate Education, ECOSLO, and other groups can help right here in our community. The Sierra Club also offers “A Room-by-Room Guide for Going Plastic-Free.”
Our dependence on plastic resembles an addiction: convenience keeps feeding it. Regulation matters, but so do daily choices. Slash your plastic use. Start today, and help make healthier habits contagious.
Don Maruska
Los Osos
This article appears in August 20 – August 27, 2026.
