Is Stainless Steel Safe?

Hi everyone,

For a bit of motivational news this week (or not depending on how you view these things), scientists mapped microplastics inside living human tissue. Their technique is called photoacoustic imaging and it can detect and visualize common microplastics (like polypropylene and polyethylene) that have made their way into the body from things like food containers and coffee cups.

They hope this will help researchers better link microplastic exposure to long-term health effects. And hopefully that will help catalyze some more regulation and protection for humans and animals.

We added a new guide to stainless steel a few weeks ago and and learned that:

Stainless steel does leach tiny amounts of nickel and chromium into food. This is increased slightly with very acidic dishes (e.g. a tomato sauce left to simmer for hours), with brand-new pans, and over long cook times.

This is not something to be concerned about for most people because it sits well inside safe limits, and it eases off as a pan gets older. Nickel sensitivity is fairly common, so if that’s you, the stainless steel grade is important to consider. More on this in the guide:

➜ Is Stainless Steel Non-Toxic? And How to Choose the Best Grades

Per last week’s poll, 50% of you said bathroom and beauty bottles were the hardest to give up, 19% said cling wrap, and 22% said all of it. This is good to know! We’ll be giving our bathroom and beauty guides some love with those swaps in mind.

If you missed it, here is the free Plastic-Free Toolkit

🎉 Rating Renewed: Activist Skincare

Activist Skincare renewed their rating with us! Activist is a woman-owned, LA-based brand making refillable serums and facial oils in small batches. They are Leaping Bunny certified and members of 1% for the Planet (like us!). They offer glass bottles that you can refill from returnable mylar pouches, and they ensure living wages for the team. Founder Allison also joined us on the podcast last year.

New in 2026: On top of giving 1% to environmental organizations through 1% for the Planet, they’re now donating 1% of annual revenue to human rights organizations too, and running fundraisers for both throughout the year.

Read the Full Rating | Shop Activist Skincare | Podcast Interview

Two fresh updates this week:

➜ Sustainable Men’s Underwear Brands

Better butt coverage with a lighter footprint, for the men in your life (or for you).

➜ Is Cotton On Fast Fashion?

We took a hard look at the Aussie high-street giant, fast fashion practices and all.

Whatever you’re cooking in or swapping out this week, thank you.

Joy x