Look around your home and you'll see many plastics, from food packaging, clothes, furniture – in fact it's pretty hard to avoid. But if you're trying to be more environmentally conscious and looking for ways to be eco-friendly there are plastic alternatives you can switch to, from plastic free deodorant to plastic-free fabric softeners, to reduce how much plastic you use in your everyday life.
Plastic is a word that originally meant “pliable and easily shaped”. Based on a natural structure called polymers, since we figured out how to make synthetic polymers (over a century and a half ago) we've used this strong, lightweight, and flexible material in thousands of ways.
However, our enthusiasm for this super-material has an increasingly serious downside, as plastic pollution is taking over our world. Today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a 'lifespan' of mere minutes to hours, yet they remain in the environment for hundreds of years.
The best thing we can do for wildlife and the planet is ditch as many disposables as possible! But for those that you do need, here are 10 of the worst single-use plastics that make their way into the environment and some eco-friendly alternatives you can swap them for.
1 Plastic straws
Plastic free alternatives: If you can, go straw free! Or try stainless steel straws, bamboo straws, pasta straws and rice straws(yes, they’re a thing!). For those that like the flexibility of plastic straws, there are other eco-friendly alternatives including paper straws, reusable silicone straws and compostable plant-based straws.
2 Coffee cups
Plastic free alternatives: Reusable cups, porcelain mugs or have your coffee dining in.
3 Plastic bottles and cups
Plastic free alternatives: Bring your own reusable water bottle out and about with you. Most cafes and food retailers will happily refill it for you.
4 Balloons
Plastic free alternatives: Plan a planet-friendly party and skip the balloons. Opt for more eco-friendly decoration options like paper lanterns, recycled bunting, DIY bubble blowers and flowers.
5 Plastic cotton buds
Plastic free alternatives: Fluid ear washes, bamboo cotton buds, organic cotton makeup pads or a reusable silicon swab
6 Plastic cutlery
Plastic free alternatives: Switch to reusable bamboo utensils, a travel cutlery set that you can take with you wherever you go or bring your own from home! Chopsticks are also a great alternative to have in your bag if you’re planning on getting takeaway.
7 Plastic food containers
Plastic free alternatives: Choose a nature-friendly takeaway such as pizza, which comes in a cardboard container. Or try to avoid or reduce the number of pre-packaged meals you eat altogether. For packed lunches opt for bamboo or glass containers, stainless steel lunch boxes and mason jars.
8 Plastic plates
Plastic free alternatives: Re-usable plastic, glass or porcelain plates. Alternatively, palm leaf or bamboo pulp plates.
9 Plastic bags
Plastic free alternatives: Make use of your bag for life, or better yet get a jute or cotton one.
10 Plastic packaging
Plastic free alternatives: Now unfortunately there's not a whole lot we can do about the amount of packaging that's used in our everyday purchases, whether from shopping online or doing the food shop. However we can be more conscious in the choices we make when purchasing – opt for loose fruit and vegetables and avoid the plastic bags, reduce your online purchases at stores which don't use environmentally-friendly packaging and favour those that do, or try to buy in person instead to save on the extra packaging. Bulk buying items can also reduce packaging, or lookout for shops and products that offer refills.
Lastly, while not all plastic packaging is recyclable, being vigilant and making sure everything that can be recycled ends up in your recycling bin will go a long way to helping reduce your impact on this global issue.