WEBVTT
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Plastic, it's a major
part of our lives.

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Our food is wrapped in
it, toys are made from it,

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it's found in devices
we use every day.

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But what you may not know is,
we're not only using plastics,

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we're also ingesting them.

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When you eat a bite of food
or even take a sip of water,

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you may be taking in
tiny plastic particles

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along with it.

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Some researchers believe
the average person

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consumes about five grams
of plastic every seven days.

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That's like eating a
credit card every week.

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Humans have produced more than 8
billion metric tons of plastic,

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mostly since the 1950s.

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And less than 10% of it
has ever been recycled.

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There's so much
plastic all around that

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we likely even breathe
in tens of thousands

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of tiny plastic fragments
or fibers every year.

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So why is there so much
plastic in our food, water,

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and the air around us?

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Plastics are very
durable materials.

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Things made out of plastic
can last quite a long time.

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However, they're not
perfectly durable,

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which means plastics can degrade
through normal wear and tear.

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Just think about all the
ways the plastics are used.

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Everything from food
containers to cell phone cases.

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The wear and tear
from repetitive use

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can produce tiny
microscopic fragments,

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which are called microplastic.

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Now over time,
these microplastics

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make their way into
the environment,

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like our lakes and rivers, the
soil, and even into our oceans.

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These materials
ultimately end up

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contaminating our
food and water supply.

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We don't completely
know for sure

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what effect ingesting all these
microplastics might have on us.

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More research is
needed to determine

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at what level exposure becomes
particularly dangerous.

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But experts recommend a
precautionary approach.

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Here's six tips to reduce your
exposure to microplastics.

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One, drink water from your tap.

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Drinking water is one of
the biggest contributors

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to microplastic ingestion.

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But bottled water has about
double the microplastic level

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of tap water.

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So unless you know your
tap water is unsafe,

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it's probably best to drink
that instead of anything

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from a plastic bottle.

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Two, don't heat food in plastic.

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Heated plastics have been known
to leach chemicals into food.

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So if you're warming up
food, use a pan in the oven

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or on the stove, or
if you're microwaving,

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use a glass container.

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You should also avoid putting
plastics into your dishwasher.

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Three, avoid plastic food
containers with known issues.

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The American Academy
of Pediatrics

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has noted that plastic
food containers

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with recycling codes
3, 6, and 7 may

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indicate the presence of some
potentially harmful chemicals.

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So you may want to
avoid using containers

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that have those
recycling codes on them,

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unless they're labeled
biobased or greenware.

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Four, eat more fresh food.

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Fresh foods are less
likely to expose you

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to concerning chemicals,
especially when compared

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to anything wrapped in plastic.

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Also many food cans are lined
with concerning chemicals.

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Five, minimize household dust.

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Dust in your house
can contain chemicals

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that are found in plastic.

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So you should vacuum regularly.

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Six, think big picture.

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Plastic production is expected
to more than quadruple

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between 2015 and
2050, which means

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the amount of
plastic contamination

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in the environment will
rise along with it.

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Consumers should opt
for products packaged

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in glass instead
of plastic, and use

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reusable non-plastic
containers whenever possible.

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If you follow
these tips, you can

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reduce the amount of plastic
in your life and in your body.

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