There's no sugarcoating it: plastic is now everywhere. In the seas, in the park around the corner and in the stomachs of seabirds. The plastic has even found its way into our bodies. Microplastic particles can be detected in the blood of almost every person [1] . Do you find that creepy? You are not alone!
What can be done about it? Consistently save plastic. Even if it seems like a drop in the ocean, it is up to you to decide where we steer our plastic flood. Because if fewer people buy and use plastic, manufacturers will be forced to rethink. You can have a say in your daily behavior. So, let's use this power!
Here are our five best tips on how you can avoid plastic in everyday life:
1. Say no to plastic coffee to go cups.
Takeaway cups have a lifespan of one coffee break - about five minutes. Then they end up in the nearest trash can again. A blatant waste of resources and absolutely unnecessary! With the CUP Coffee to go cup in your bag, you are perfectly equipped when your thirst for coffee hits on the go. It will accompany you for many years, causes a stir with its urban look and is also far superior to the plastic cup in practical terms: it stays tight, stays warm for three hours and does not require any plasticizers.
2. Switch to solid cosmetics without plastic packaging.
Solid shampoo, solid soap, solid deodorant, toothpaste tabs, delicately melting cream bars – the market offers a variety of solid cosmetics. In this context, solid means that the product comes in one piece and is often sold unpackaged or only wrapped in paper. You'll have to adjust a bit when it comes to handling it, but then you'll be thrilled! Washing bars, for example, are much more efficient than their liquid cousins and cannot leak on the go.
3. Don't use a disposable razor.
Let's just stay in the bathroom. There is a little helper that causes a lot of plastic and waste of money: the disposable razor or the plastic razor with a replaceable head. Let's be honest, the razor heads are constantly dull and cost quite a lot. Plastic-free safety razors made of wood and metal that work with a razor blade are better and more aesthetic.
4. Bring your own bags or containers when shopping.
This tip has it all and can dramatically reduce your plastic consumption in everyday life. It's unbelievable how many plastic bags and other packaging we are offered in everyday life: from the classic carrier bag in the supermarket to the thin plastic bag in the fruit department to the bread bag with a plastic insert from the bakery. Say “No, thank you!” and use the reusable bags or containers you brought with you instead. This works wonderfully in unpackaged stores, but also in more and more “normal” bakeries, butchers and of course at the supermarket checkout.
5. Banish plastic bottles from your everyday life.
Plastic bottles account for a large portion of the plastic pollution in our environment. No wonder: they are available everywhere and everyone has to drink them... The fact that you are not only harming nature but also your own well-being is often ignored. The dangerous plasticizers in plastic dissolve particularly well in liquids. Do yourself and the world a favor and avoid plastic bottles in your everyday life. The FLSK drinking bottle offers you a fantastic, practical and stylish alternative.
You can find more ideas for sustainable alternatives to plastic at the WWF and the Federal Environment Agency .
[1] https://www.dw.com/de/plastik-im-blut-wie-microplastik-in-unseren-k%C3%B6rper-kommen/a-61293458