Reduce plastic waste: This is how it works!
Avoiding plastic waste is a very complex issue in everyday life and requires a lot of attention and effort. But everyone can do something to reduce plastic waste and even small steps have a big impact. It is just important to start avoiding plastic waste and, ideally, to get other people around you excited about it.
One way to start could be to ban all single-use plastic products from the home. This includes plastic cutlery and crockery, which are often used at barbecues, picnics and parties. Metal straws, porcelain crockery and fabric napkins are functional alternatives. Household items don't have to be made of plastic either. Alternatives made of stainless steel, wood or porcelain are much more durable, usually much more visually appealing and just as functional. In the children's room, it makes sense to use toys made of wood and felt. They usually contain significantly fewer pollutants and are therefore safer for children.
For most households, it is impossible to completely do without plastic as packaging material and raw material for products. The resulting plastic waste should therefore be disposed of properly. In Germany, there is a very detailed recycling system and if the waste is separated correctly, plastic can usually be reused. However, correct waste separation is essential for this. If plastic ends up in the residual waste, it is not recycled and instead pollutes the environment. Of course, politics also has a role to play here. Significantly higher prices for plastic bags, a tax on them or even a ban on them would already prevent a large amount of plastic waste. Countries such as France, Australia and India are already setting a good example in this regard.
Tips for a daily life with less plastic
When you go shopping, you should always have a cloth bag in your luggage. The tried and tested jute bag is much more stable than a plastic bag, offers a similar amount of storage space and looks much more stylish. Alternatively, you can use backpacks made of textile fibers and cardboard boxes to transport your shopping, and the plastic bags can stay in the supermarket.
There are other plastic traps waiting to be avoided in the grocery store. These include fresh fruit and vegetables in particular, as these do not have to be packaged in disposable plastic bags. It also makes sense to look for plastic-free packaging for packaged food and to buy products in glass instead. Packaging-free stores are of course ideal, where every customer can bring and fill their own tin cans, storage jars, etc. In order to show grocery stores that customers want plastic-free packaging, it can be helpful to dispose of packaging waste immediately after shopping in the supermarket. This also has the advantage that significantly less waste is generated and has to be disposed of at home.
Fortunately, there is a large selection of drinks that are sold in glass bottles. These are used multiple times and therefore avoid a lot of waste compared to drinks in disposable plastic bottles. Water can also be consumed wonderfully from the tap, as German drinking water is one of the best-controlled foods. These first steps towards less plastic in everyday life are already having a major impact on protecting the environment.
