The plastic crisis is no longer just a distant image of an ocean gyre - it is also a sneaky health crisis quietly unfolding inside our own homes and in parallel with our consumption habits. As part of a worldwide movement to reclaim human health from microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, Grove Collaborative has partnered with the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) to launch The Unplastic Shop. This curated collection of approximately 500 vetted, high-performance products isn't just a marketplace – it is a thoughtful extension of the global "Unplastic Your Life" campaign, designed to help families transition away from the toxic convenience of plastic.
Rigorous Standards: Beyond "BPA-Free"
Products in The Unplastic Shop meet a set of wide-ranging stringent criteria developed by OPS in partnership with Grove’s internal product standards team, focusing on the following priorities:
- No plastic touches anything people ingest
- Free from BPA and “BP” alternatives (including BPS and BPF)
- Free from PFAS and other “forever chemicals”
- Selected to avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals and other substances associated with hormone disruption
- Reduced-plastic packaging or plastic-free alternatives whenever possible
It is a smart and necessary response to a shift in consumer consciousness. “People are waking up to the reality that plastic isn’t only an environmental issue - it’s increasingly personal,” said Jeff Yurcisin, CEO of Grove Collaborative. “Our customers want clear guidance and better options they can trust. With OPS, we’re proud to launch The Unplastic Shop as a one-stop destination for vetted swaps and education to help families reduce plastic exposure at home – without compromising on performance.”
The Shocking Science of Everyday Exposure
The science grounding The Unplastic Shop reveals that our most common routines – breathing, eating, drinking and washing – are primary vectors for unwanted chemical ingestion. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as phthalates and PFAS, are linked to a global fertility crisis, rising cancer rates, and cardiovascular issues like early heart attack and stroke. The data found in the campaign’s research provides a number of specific "aha!" moments that highlight the urgency of swaps recommended by Grove and OPS. Notable examples include:
- The Infancy Risk: Heating or sterilizing plastic baby bottles causes them to shed big amounts of microplastics. In fact, bottle-fed babies could be consuming 160 times more microplastics than the average adult.
- The Tea Trap: Steeping a single plastic-based tea bag can release up to 1.2 billion microplastic particles per milliliter of tea.
- The Black Plastic Danger: That black plastic lid on your to-go coffee cup is a major red flag. Black plastics may contain toxic recycled materials from electronics that would not be appropriate for food contact.
“We’re now finding plastics in our brains, our hearts, our placentas – even in breast milk,” said Louie Psihoyos, Co-Director of The Plastic Detox and Founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society. “And a big part of that exposure comes from products we use every day. Once you realize how many plastic-linked chemicals are in those products, you start asking a simple question: what can I do to reduce my exposure? That’s why we created this campaign – and why we created The Unplastic Shop.”
The "Unplastic Your Life" Educational Ecosystem
The Unplastic Shop serves as the practical solution to the problems highlighted in the broader "Unplastic Your Life" initiative, which also includes The Plastic Detox – a Netflix documentary which follows six couples undergoing dramatic home interventions to reduce their chemical body burden. For those ready to perform their own intervention, the campaign offers The Plastic Playbook, a detailed guide to reducing plastic exposure at home, as well as its sister resource “10 Things You Can Do Now” by Grove Collaborative, featuring the following key tips:
- Store food in glass, stainless steel, or ceramic instead of plastic containers and cling wrap. Try beeswax wraps or cloth covers for an easy swap.
- Replace plastic cutting boards and utensils with wood, bamboo, or stainless steel. When possible, swap nonstick cookware for glass, stainless steel, ceramic, or cast iron.
- Choose glass or ceramic for microwaving and food storage, and avoid letting hot liquids sit in plastic containers.
- Use filtered tap water with a glass or stainless steel bottle. Avoid drinking from plastic bottles that have been heated or stored for long periods.
- Opt for digital receipts when possible and wash your hands after handling paper receipts.
- Seek out safer hair and personal care products - look for simpler formulas, fragrance transparency, and lower-plastic packaging where available.
- Consider lower-plastic detergent formats and reusable upgrades like wool dryer balls.
- Choose natural fibers like cotton, linen, hemp, or wool for clothing and bedding.
- Ventilate regularly, vacuum often, and choose lower-scent or fragrance-free home products when possible.
In addition, OPS has also compiled a collection of free educational resources and downloadable tools, available here.
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Advisor and Co-Lead, Global Content Strategy & Thought Leadership, Sustainable Brands
Sustainable Brands
Dimitar is a senior sustainability and regeneration strategist, educator, executive advisor and mentor. He currently holds the following active roles: Advisor and Co-Lead, Global Content Strategy & Thought Leadership at Sustainable Brands; Senior Strategist, Content Development & Product Innovation at Sustainability Hub Norway; Executive Advisor at rePurpose Global; and Senior Content Advisor at Integrate2033. He co-led the creation of the SB Brand Transformation Roadmap, a comprehensive navigation tool mapping the whole journey from business-as-usual to a sustainable brand, and co-designed an accompanying assessment process that measures progress in five dimensions: purpose, brand influence, operations and supply chain, products and services, and governance.
Published Apr 20, 2026 3am EDT / 12am PDT / 8am BST / 9am CEST