2024, NEJM
In the artery wall
Micro- and nanoplastics in arterial plaque were linked to higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
The fix: Swap the items that touch hot food and drink, heat is where shedding spikes.
but plastic free.
9 things in Fitness
Fitness, plastic free
The guide
Plastic-free fitness gear
Gym kit is quietly synthetic: PVC mats, foam blocks, microfibre towels. Natural materials grip better and don't shed.
3 min read
New England Journal of Medicine, 2024
What actually helps
Stainless bottle, natural kit
Gym staples are quietly plastic, easy to upgrade.
- A stainless bottle beats bottled water: ~90,000 microplastics a year vs ~4,000 from tap. Environmental Science & Technology, 2019
- Natural-fibre towels and cork or rubber gear avoid synthetic microfibre shedding. World Economic Forum, 2025
The science
Why fitness, but plastic free?
Gym gear is quietly synthetic, PVC mats, foam blocks, microfibre towels. Natural rubber mats, cork blocks, stainless bottles, and organic-cotton towels swap the plastics for materials that grip better and don't shed.
Bottled water, a gym staple, averages about 240,000 plastic particles per litre; a stainless bottle avoids it. · PNAS, 2024
Microfibre textiles shed synthetic particles; natural-fibre towels don't. · World Economic Forum, 2025
Common questions
- Is natural rubber as grippy as a PVC mat?
- Natural tree rubber and cork offer excellent, often superior grip, without the PVC, PER, or synthetic foam.
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