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I want to start by saying, I did not intend to go down this rabbit hole. I even promised my husband I wouldn’t spiral if I watched The Plastic Detox on Netflix. Well. I spiraled.
I sat down one evening to watch something mindless and ended up glued to this documentary for the rest of the night. By the end of it I was sitting on the couch, kind of staring into space, running a mental inventory of every piece of plastic in the house. Not my finest moment…. but it did kick off what I’m now calling my slow plastic free swaps for home era, and I’m genuinely glad it did.
The documentary follows six couples who go through a full plastic detox in their homes. It gets into how microplastics are showing up in our food, our water, and our blood, and a lot of it traces back to everyday items we’ve never questioned. Cutting boards, food containers, laundry detergent, body wash. Stuff I’ve had forever and just assumed was fine. The part that really got me? Microplastics have been found in breast milk. That one stuck with me.
Now, before we get into it: I am not going zero plastic. That’s not realistic, and I think the all-or-nothing mindset is exactly what stops people from making any changes at all. My goal is just to be more intentional…. as things run out and need to be replaced, I want to make a better choice when I can. No pressure, no perfection. Just small, gradual swaps over time.
Here’s what I’ve done so far, plus what’s coming up next.
1. Glass Food Storage Instead of Plastic Tupperware
This was the most obvious place to start. I’d had the same set of plastic containers for years, slightly stained from tomato sauce, lids that barely fit anymore. Honestly, it was time regardless.
I replaced everything with glass food storage containers, and I genuinely love them. They look nicer, they don’t stain, and I feel better about reheating food in them. They still have plastic lids, so I’ve just made it a rule not to reheat with the lid on, small habit, easy to stick to.
This is a great first plastic free home swap if you’re just starting out and feeling overwhelmed. It’s low effort and makes a real difference.
2. Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent
I had been using Tide liquid detergent forever and genuinely never thought twice about it. I decided to try Molly’s Suds, and I’m so glad I made the switch.
I got the Ocean Mist scent and it smells incredible. Actually clean, not fake-clean. My clothes come out just as fresh as before, and my husband hasn’t noticed a difference, which is usually the real test in this house.
No complaints at all. This was one of the easiest non-toxic home swaps I’ve made.
3. Attitude Body Wash (Bye, Dove)
I’ll be honest… I was a little nervous about this one. I’ve been a Dove girl for years and I was worried that going cleaner would mean worse lather, a weird smell, or just a product that doesn’t work as well.
But I tried Attitude body wash and I am completely converted. I went with the orange eucalyptus scent, I’m a sucker for anything eucalyptus, and it’s really lovely. The bottle is made from recycled plastic, which isn’t a perfect solution but it’s better than virgin plastic, and the formula itself is way cleaner.
If you’ve been putting off a body wash swap, start here. It’s an easy transition and you won’t miss your old one.
4. Glass and Wood Cutting Boards (The Hardest Swap)
This was by far the most difficult plastic free swap I’ve made, and I want to be honest about that.
I had plastic cutting boards that I loved. The right size, easy to clean, had been with me through every apartment and into this house. Letting them go felt genuinely sad, which I realize sounds dramatic, but here we are.
But cutting boards are one of the biggest ways microplastics end up directly in your food. Every time you cut on a plastic surface, tiny particles transfer onto whatever you’re cooking. Once I knew that, I couldn’t really keep them.
I replaced them with a mix of wood cutting boards for everyday use and glass cutting boards for raw meat. The wood ones are beautiful on the counter. The glass ones are easy to fully sanitize. I actually like them more than my old ones now.
If you only make one swap from this list… make it this one.
Up Next: The Plastic Free Swaps I’m Planning
I haven’t tested these yet, but they’re all on my radar as things run out. I wanted to share them here in case you’re at the same stage, looking ahead, making a list, not trying to do it all at once.
- Dishwasher pods — I’ve been eyeing Blueland dishwasher tablets. They come in a reusable tin with dissolvable pods, zero plastic packaging. I’ve heard really good things and they’re reasonably priced for how long a tin lasts.
- Dish soap — I want to try a concentrated dish soap bar to cut down on the plastic bottle cycle. Branch Basics and Blueland both have options I’m considering.
- Toothpaste — The toothpaste tube situation has been on my list for a while. I’ve seen a lot of people loving Davids’s toothpaste
- Wool dryer balls — This feels like the easiest next step. Wool dryer balls replace dryer sheets completely. They reduce drying time, soften clothes naturally, and a good set lasts for years. No more buying a box of dryer sheets every month.
- Natural sponges — Most kitchen sponges are made from petroleum-based plastic and shed microplastics every time you use them. I’m switching to natural fiber or compostable sponges, a small swap that adds up over time.
I’ll do a full update post once I’ve actually tried these. Promise I’ll be honest about what works and what doesn’t.
This Is a Process — And That’s the Point
Making plastic free swaps for your home doesn’t have to happen overnight. Four swaps made, five more on the horizon. Nothing overwhelming, nothing that required a big lifestyle change, just paying attention and making a better call when something runs out.
If you’re feeling the same way after watching The Plastic Detox or just generally want to be more intentional about what’s in your home, I hope this gives you a starting point. You don’t have to do it all at once. You just have to start.