Environmentalism

What do you think about those plastic eating microbes? Can they actually break down plastic, and are the broken down compounds safe? 

What are the best long term options to remove microplastics from the environment? Are there really any at all? 

Can you give a sense of the risk level of storing food in the refrigerator in polypropylene (translucent quart sized “deli containers”)?

I would like to understand the effects of PFAS chemicals on us and the animals we share the planet with.

How bad is it for a baby to bathe in a tub with adhesive residue on the interior, exposed to the bath water the child is bathed in?

Cork is used as a healthier material than plastics in applications like flooring, yoga mats, etc. Yet cork itself has a lasting noticeable smell, which I take it means it is "offgassing" some smellable chemicals. Is the offgassing from cork a health concern for something used a lot like a yoga mat?

What would be your top 5 best biodegrable materials to seek out to replace plastics, esp single use, like trash bin liners? I read your blog where you talked about returning to reuse where possible, which is deffo the aim, but in the cases we can’t, what would be your preferences or recs?

How worrisome do you find astroturf artificial grass?

Do you know what kind of information and studies have been done on the tox side of microplastics? For whatever reason, it's harder for me to wrap my brain around the idea of attempting to metabolize a plastic vs a drug. I am really interested to learn more.

I’ve read that a lot of “biodegradable” plastics need special environments to break down which are not common in most cities.Are there any materials that seem promising in terms of actual recyclability and biodegradability that are feasible for inexpensive packaging and things like that?  

I was checking out plasticlist.org and noticed milk bottled in glass had higher counts of some of the chemicals of milk bottled in plastic (such as the Straus Organic Milk in glass), and I was confused why this was...can you explain like I'm 5 to me?

Could you talk about silicone? It's presented as harmless but I've also heard that it's not.

For laundry detergent - which is the best option? I recently started using detergent sheets but have heard they release microplastics into the water.

It's that true you shouldn't heat up ANY plastic container because stuff that made plastics bonds breaks up and contaminate food?  

I have a similar background, so my first and off-topic question would be whether you have any tips on finding a job within environmental chemistry.

I am very interested in algae bioplastic and I've been experimenting with my own for art. What do you think of bioplastics (algae and other) current potential to replace the worlds plastic?

So I'm an artist and want to make more works about overconsumption and plastic pollution. I really love how melted/heated plastic works as a medium and its cool that I could put some of my own waste to use--but I know melting/heating it releases toxins. Do you know of any way that I could neutralize those toxins so as not to release them into the air?  

When brands write "recyclable" or something similar..do they greenwash us? 

Drinking water. Is tap water better than bottled? What’s the best way to get drinking water with the least amount of harm?

How bad is non-stick/teflon coating for the consumer and the environment? How about ceramic?

I’m a sewist and have noticed a majority of the more affordable fabrics are synthetic (rayon, polyester, etc.). Is there a “better” synthetic to use in terms of long term effects?

What needs to be done to prevent companies from engaging in, "regrettable substitutions"?

Are there any cases where plastic is better for the environment than a similar non-plastic alternative?

How worried should I be about plastic in the environment? Because I’m pretty worried about it.

Is it possible to come up with a better/economically feasible process for recycling plastic?

Do micro plastics themselves ever break down into their elemental constituents and become harmless?

What are your hopes in the next decade or two on overcoming our reliance on plastics?

Aren't biodegradable and compostable different?