About Plastic Free Living
Plastic Free Living helps people make practical, lower-plastic decisions through research-backed explanations, transparent product comparisons, and clearly labeled testing.
The site began with a simple goal: reduce plastic exposure in everyday life and reduce the plastic waste we contribute to the world around us. Reaching that goal is rarely as simple as replacing one material with another. Product labels can be incomplete, “eco-friendly” claims can hide important tradeoffs, and an alternative that sounds better may introduce a different problem.
Plastic Free Living exists to investigate those questions and make the findings easier to use.
What You’ll Find Here
Guidance and research
We explain what current evidence says about common sources of plastic exposure, material choices, and practical ways to use less plastic. We link to important sources so readers can examine the evidence for themselves.
Product research and comparisons
We compare materials, construction, product claims, usability, and tradeoffs. A product is not treated as “plastic-free” simply because that phrase appears in its marketing.
Practical testing
When we test a product ourselves, we explain what we did, what we observed, and what the test cannot establish. Hands-on observations, manufacturer claims, outside research, and laboratory results are identified separately.
Carefully selected products
We highlight products that may help readers reduce plastic in everyday life. Recommendations consider materials and likely exposure, but also durability, usefulness, availability, and the possibility of unintended tradeoffs.
Our Approach
- Prefer checkable evidence over unsupported claims.
- Link important factual claims to primary or otherwise credible sources when they are available.
- Separate firsthand observations from research findings, manufacturer statements, and opinion.
- Describe uncertainty and the limits of available evidence.
- Explain disadvantages and tradeoffs instead of presenting any product or material as perfect.
- Correct errors and update material when better information becomes available.
- Avoid promises that a product will prevent, treat, or cure a medical condition.
For more detail, read our Editorial Standards and Product Testing Methodology.
Who Is Behind Plastic Free Living?
Plastic Free Living was founded by Ryan Stanley as a way to document his effort to understand plastic exposure and make better everyday choices. The project also includes content created with his son, Robert.
Ryan is not a physician, toxicologist, materials scientist, or laboratory scientist. Plastic Free Living provides educational information, not medical advice. When a topic involves health, safety, or scientific uncertainty, the goal is to report the evidence responsibly and make the limitations clear.
Learn more about Ryan Stanley and how he works.
A Work in Progress
The science of plastic exposure is still evolving, and product materials and manufacturing can change. The goal is not to promise a perfect solution. It is to make the available evidence, practical options, and remaining uncertainties easier to understand so readers can make informed choices that fit their lives.