How the Lab Works

Science we fund together. Focused studies that make our daily lives safer.

Member-funded. Member-directed. Answers published in full.

The process at a glance

01
Join & Vote
Members vote on what gets tested each season
→
02
Study Design
Protocols finalized with expert scientific guidance
→
03
Lab Testing
Accredited labs run validated analyses
→
04
Results
Findings published in full to all members
The Process — In Depth

Each step, explained

The four steps above, unpacked. Here is exactly what happens at each stage from member vote to published findings.

Step 01 — Members Vote

You decide what we investigate.

Each Research Season, voting members rank a list of proposed studies in the member portal. The top-ranked studies determine what the lab investigates next. Members tell us which products and exposures matter most to them, shaping the priorities for each batch of research.

Step 02 — Study Design

Every detail of the protocol is locked in.

Once a study clears the voting threshold, our team finalizes every detail of the protocol with input from leading scientific experts. We select validated lab methods, define precise sampling strategies, establish sensitive detection limits, and create a bulletproof chain of custody.

Product samples are then carefully collected, meticulously documented, and prepared exactly according to the study plan.

Step 03 — Lab Testing

Samples go to accredited partner laboratories.

Prepared samples are transferred to our accredited partner laboratories, where standardized procedures detect and quantify microplastics, PFAS, heavy metals, and other contaminants relevant to the study. Every step follows strict protocols designed to identify even trace levels, delivering reliable, high-resolution data on what is truly present in the products we use every day.

Step 04 — Results

Findings released in the Signal.

Raw lab data comes back to our team. From there we do the hard work of analyzing, contextualizing, and presenting the findings in a way that is genuinely useful. Not just a spreadsheet of numbers.

The Signal, our members-only publication, delivers the underlying data plus a clear explanation of what we found and why it matters. Every completed study joins the permanent, ever-growing research library.

The studies that run each research season depend on member support. The more members who join, the more products the lab can test.

The Science

What makes the testing rigorous

Our research is shaped by input from scientists across toxicology, environmental health, and materials science. Testing is executed by accredited laboratories using validated international protocols.

Scientific Guidance

Toxicology
Environmental Health
Materials Science
Analytical Chemistry

We are actively building these expert relationships as the project grows, with the goal of making Unplastic Labs a rigorous, respected voice in consumer product safety.

Our Independence

Built to answer to no one but you.

100% Member Funded
Every dollar comes from members. No investors, no grants, no corporate backing.
No Ads
We don't sell attention or access to our audience.
No Brand Sponsorships
No company can fund or influence a study.
No Paid Placement
Products cannot pay to appear in or be excluded from results.

Results belong to the community. No brand can pay to appear favorably, commission a study, or influence how findings are reported. What we find is what we publish.

Common Questions

Our focus is the full picture of modern contamination: microplastics, PFAS, BPA and related compounds, heavy metals, pesticide residues, and other emerging threats. The specific contaminants tested in each study depend on what is most relevant to the product being investigated. Members vote on what gets studied, and the testing protocol is designed around that.
We run one Research Season per quarter, roughly every three months. Each season funds as many studies as member support makes possible. The more members who join, the more products we can test. Every completed study goes straight into the permanent research library.
Yes. We receive the full results directly from the lab, and from there our team does the hard work of analyzing, contextualizing, and presenting the findings in a way that is actually useful to you. Not just a spreadsheet of numbers. You will have access to both the underlying data and a clear explanation of what it means for the products you use every day.
We publish it. Finding products with low or no contamination is the whole point. Members need to know what is safe, not just what isn't.
No. Study selection is entirely member-directed. Members rank proposed studies each season, and the top results determine what the lab investigates next. Brands have no seat at the table and no ability to commission or direct testing.
Yes. All members can propose studies through the member portal. The proposal queue is open every season, and the strongest community-interest ideas become candidates for the next round of voting. Members at the Investigator tier and above then rank which proposals advance.
Unplastic Labs is independently founded with no corporate investors, no brand relationships, and no advertisers. Testing is carried out by accredited third-party laboratories following validated international protocols. We are actively building relationships with leading scientists in toxicology, environmental health, and materials science to strengthen our methodology as the project grows.
All testing is carried out by accredited laboratories using validated methods aligned with ISO, EPA, AOAC, and CEN/TS standards. Every study includes quality controls including blanks, spikes, duplicates, and certified reference materials to verify that results are accurate and reproducible.

Lab Methods

Our testing employs validated analytical techniques aligned with international guidelines from ISO, EPA, AOAC, and relevant CEN/TS standards. These methods ensure accurate, precise detection of chemical contaminants in consumer products, with particular emphasis on microplastics, heavy metals, phthalates, and other leachables or additives.

Rigorous sample preparation is used to isolate target analytes from complex matrices, including microwave-assisted digestion, solvent extraction, density separation, and filtration. Quality controls including blanks, spikes, duplicates, and certified reference materials are incorporated throughout.

Spectroscopy
FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy for identifying polymer types and microplastic particles down to micrometer scales, following protocols including ISO 16094-2.
Mass Spectrometry
GC-MS for phthalates and organic additives; ICP-MS and ICP-OES for trace heavy metals including lead, cadmium, arsenic, and antimony; Pyrolysis-GC/MS for polymer characterization and microplastic quantification.
Additional Approaches
Thermal analysis, X-ray Fluorescence for elemental screening, and optical microscopy and SEM-EDX for particle morphology and surface contaminants.

These methods produce comprehensive, reproducible data capable of detecting contaminants at trace concentrations, consistent with internationally recognized standards.

Ready to see what's in your food?

Testing a single product for microplastics can cost $500 or more. Through the magic of crowdfunding science with our membership fees, we are able to fund the lab tests and publish the answers in full. No corporate funding, no brand influence.

Become a Member

Independent science for your home  ·  Member-directed

How the Lab Works

Science we fund together. Focused studies that make our daily lives safer.

Member-funded. Member-directed. Answers published in full.

The process at a glance
01
Join & Vote Members vote on what gets tested each season
02
Study Design Protocols finalized with expert scientific guidance
03
Lab Testing Accredited labs run validated analyses
04
Results Findings published in full to all members
The Process — In Depth

Each step, explained

The four steps above, unpacked. Here is exactly what happens at each stage from member vote to published findings.

Step 01 — Members Vote

You decide what we investigate.

Each Research Season, voting members rank a list of proposed studies in the member portal. The top-ranked studies determine what the lab investigates next. Members tell us which products and exposures matter most to them, shaping the priorities for each batch of research.

Step 02 — Study Design

Every detail of the protocol is locked in.

Once a study clears the voting threshold, our team finalizes every detail of the protocol with input from leading scientific experts. We select validated lab methods, define precise sampling strategies, establish sensitive detection limits, and create a bulletproof chain of custody.

Product samples are then carefully collected, meticulously documented, and prepared exactly according to the study plan.

Step 03 — Lab Testing

Samples go to accredited partner laboratories.

Prepared samples are transferred to our accredited partner laboratories, where standardized procedures detect and quantify microplastics, PFAS, heavy metals, and other contaminants relevant to the study. Every step follows strict protocols designed to identify even trace levels, delivering reliable, high-resolution data on what is truly present in the products we use every day.

Step 04 — Results

Findings released in the Signal.

Raw lab data comes back to our team. From there we do the hard work of analyzing, contextualizing, and presenting the findings in a way that is genuinely useful. Not just a spreadsheet of numbers.

The Signal, our members-only publication, delivers the underlying data plus a clear explanation of what we found and why it matters. Every completed study joins the permanent, ever-growing research library.

The studies that run each season depend on member support. The more members who join, the more products the lab can test.

The Science

What makes the testing rigorous

Our research is shaped by input from scientists across toxicology, environmental health, and materials science. Testing is executed by accredited laboratories using validated international protocols. Scientific Guidance
Toxicology
Environmental Health
Materials Science
Analytical Chemistry
We are actively building these expert relationships as the project grows, with the goal of making Unplastic Labs a rigorous, respected voice in consumer product safety.
Our Independence

Built to answer to no one but you.

100% Member Funded Every dollar comes from members. No investors, no grants, no corporate backing.
No Ads We don't sell attention or access to our audience.
No Brand Sponsorships No company can fund or influence a study.
No Paid Placement Products cannot pay to appear in or be excluded from results.

Results belong to the community. No brand can pay to appear favorably, commission a study, or influence how findings are reported. What we find is what we publish.

Common Questions

Our focus is the full picture of modern contamination: microplastics, PFAS, BPA and related compounds, heavy metals, pesticide residues, and other emerging threats. The specific contaminants tested in each study depend on what is most relevant to the product being investigated. Members vote on what gets studied, and the testing protocol is designed around that.
We run one Research Season per quarter, roughly every three months. Each season funds as many studies as member support makes possible. The more members who join, the more products we can test. Every completed study goes straight into the permanent research library.
Yes. We receive the full results directly from the lab, and from there our team does the hard work of analyzing, contextualizing, and presenting the findings in a way that is actually useful to you. Not just a spreadsheet of numbers. You will have access to both the underlying data and a clear explanation of what it means for the products you use every day.
We publish it. Finding products with low or no contamination is the whole point. Members need to know what is safe, not just what isn't.
No. Study selection is entirely member-directed. Members rank proposed studies each season, and the top results determine what the lab investigates next. Brands have no seat at the table and no ability to commission or direct testing.
Yes. All members can propose studies through the member portal. The proposal queue is open every season, and the strongest community-interest ideas become candidates for the next round of voting. Members at the Investigator tier and above then rank which proposals advance.
Unplastic Labs is independently founded with no corporate investors, no brand relationships, and no advertisers. Testing is carried out by accredited third-party laboratories following validated international protocols. We are actively building relationships with leading scientists in toxicology, environmental health, and materials science to strengthen our methodology as the project grows.
All testing is carried out by accredited laboratories using validated methods aligned with ISO, EPA, AOAC, and CEN/TS standards. Every study includes quality controls including blanks, spikes, duplicates, and certified reference materials to verify that results are accurate and reproducible.

Lab Methods

Our testing employs validated analytical techniques aligned with international guidelines from ISO, EPA, AOAC, and relevant CEN/TS standards, ensuring accurate, precise detection of chemical contaminants with particular emphasis on microplastics, heavy metals, phthalates, and other leachables or additives.

Rigorous sample preparation is used to isolate target analytes from complex matrices, including microwave-assisted digestion, solvent extraction, density separation, and filtration. Quality controls including blanks, spikes, duplicates, and certified reference materials are incorporated throughout.

Spectroscopy FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy for identifying polymer types and microplastic particles down to micrometer scales, following protocols including ISO 16094-2.
Mass Spectrometry GC-MS for phthalates and organic additives; ICP-MS and ICP-OES for trace heavy metals; Pyrolysis-GC/MS for polymer characterization and microplastic quantification.
Additional Approaches Thermal analysis, X-ray Fluorescence for elemental screening, and optical microscopy and SEM-EDX for particle morphology and surface contaminants.

Ready to see what's in your food?

Testing a single product for microplastics can cost $500 or more. Through the magic of crowdfunding science with our membership fees, we are able to fund the lab tests and publish the answers in full. No corporate funding, no brand influence.

Become a Member $17 per testing season  ·  Cancel anytime