Ryan Stanley
Founder and editor of Plastic Free Living
Ryan Stanley is the founder and editor of Plastic Free Living. He created the site to investigate a question that became increasingly difficult to ignore: where does plastic enter everyday life, and which changes are genuinely useful?
His work focuses on turning a complicated mix of research, product specifications, marketing claims, firsthand use, and testing into practical guidance. The aim is not to label every plastic alternative as automatically better. It is to identify what can be verified, explain the tradeoffs, and make uncertainty visible.
How Ryan Works
- Reviews scientific research and guidance from credible public institutions.
- Examines product specifications, material disclosures, and manufacturer documentation.
- Compares independent testing and reporting when relevant evidence is available.
- Uses products firsthand when an article includes a hands-on assessment.
- Separates manufacturer-reported information from claims that can be independently verified.
- Labels exploratory laboratory work and explains the limits of the methods and results.
- Updates articles when product details, evidence, or conclusions materially change.
Perspective and Limitations
Ryan is not a physician, toxicologist, materials scientist, or laboratory scientist, and Plastic Free Living does not provide medical advice. His role is to ask careful questions, compare the available evidence, document what was done, and communicate both useful findings and their limits.
That transparency matters. A firsthand observation is not a controlled study. A manufacturer statement is not independent verification. An exploratory test is not a universal finding. Plastic Free Living identifies those distinctions so readers can weigh the information appropriately.
A Family Project
Plastic Free Living also includes work created with Ryan’s son, Robert. Their shared projects bring a practical, curious perspective to product use and everyday attempts to reduce plastic.
Corrections and Questions
If you spot an error, have a source that could improve an article, or want to ask how a conclusion was reached, please contact Plastic Free Living. You can also review the site’s Editorial Standards and Product Testing Methodology.