MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
It's become part of just about everything we use every single day. You know what I'm talking about.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE GRADUATE")
WALTER BROOKE: (As Mr. McGuire) Just one word.
DUSTIN HOFFMAN: (As Benjamin Braddock) Yes, sir.
BROOKE: (As Mr. McGuire) Are you listening?
HOFFMAN: (As Benjamin Braddock) Yes, sir, I am.
BROOKE: (As Mr. McGuire) Plastics.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
That's a well-known clip from "The Graduate." And back in 1967 when the film came out, there wasn't a lot of concern about the impact of plastics on our environment or health.
MARTIN: For decades, we've been told to reduce, reuse and recycle in an effort to cut down on waste and pollution and help the environment. Now, though, some experts are saying we might want to ease up on the reuse, especially when it comes to plastic food packaging. Sherri Mason is a researcher who studies the effects of plastic pollution on freshwater.
SHERRI MASON: Plastics are constantly flaking. Almost like how skin cells are constantly flaking off of our bodies, plastics are constantly releasing micro and nanoplastics.
FADEL: I like my - to season my food. I'm not sure I want microplastics as my seasoning.
MARTIN: Well, unfortunately, we might already be doing so.
FADEL: Mason says microplastics are particles that can be as narrow as one-hundredth of a human hair. And single-use plastics like takeout containers and water bottles can shed those particles into food more quickly. The longer the food or drinks stay in these containers, the more plastics end up in your body.
MASON: You can squish that bottle. The ability to physically maneuver that plastic means that you've got this increase in friction and more shedding that will accompany that versus, like, a harder, reusable plastic.
MARTIN: And Mason says you should definitely think twice about reheating single-use plastics in the microwave.
MASON: Room temperature - the molecules are moving less quickly, so they won't migrate as much. But as you raise the temperature, you'll have more of that movement from the plastic container into the food that you're then going to ingest.
FADEL: She says even sturdier, reusable plastic storage containers can shed microplastics. So she recommends storing your food in ceramic or glass.
MARTIN: And next time you are on a walk or a hike, consider bringing a water bottle made of metal. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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