How plastic fills up our life
Plastic keeps our coffee warm in the morning. In the afternoon, we take food out from a restaurant around the corner. We wear plastic on our bodies, we use it on the phone, it keeps our food clean and fresh. Plastic fits perfectly in our life: it is cheap, easy to transport, convenient and quick to dispose of.
But plastic is not as convenient as one would prefer to imagine. Plastic doesn’t disappear simply because it doesn’t rot. In hundreds of years, every piece of plastic that has ever been made but not incinerated will exist somewhere on earth. Plastic is already piling up in landfills, floating in oceans and rivers in huge quantities, and killing the animals that eat it. Many countries are trying to control the huge mountains of plastic by exporting large quantities of plastic to other countries.
Plastic is difficult to avoid
But plastic is not just a visible problem. Plastics made of unattractive fossil fuels is chemically unstable. The smallest particles of plastic constantly get into the air, into the soil or into groundwater. In the sea, they are eaten by fish and plankton. And they enter our body through the food chain along with the particles we ingest when we handle plastic products such as plastic bottles, boxes and bags on a daily basis.
The daily production, use and disposal of plastic has a serious impact on the environment and our health. Nevertheless, the number of things made entirely or at least partially from plastic continues to increase. Efforts to avoid it often seem futile. Should the egg packaging be plastic? Why are cucumbers and apples wrapped in shrink wrap? Does beer from plastic bottles taste better?
Plastic is now in everything or on everything – and that is why it is so difficult to manage life without it. Who has the courage to leave their favorite tortellini on the shelf of the supermarket because they are in plastic packaging? However, there are ways to avoid plastic – and above all unnecessary plastic – in everyday life to a large extent. All it takes is a little planning and the desire to break old habits.
Biodegradable or compostable plastic – no more than beautiful words!
Biodegradable and compostable plastics could make a difference, but not in the form currently found on the market.
Companies around the world use bioplastic as a label or “brand” for perceived sustainability. The words biodegradable or compostable are increasingly being used to hide the fact that these are disposable products. Even if disposable products were degradable, this almost never actually happens because organic waste composting plants have much shorter decay times than biodegradable products. It would be uneconomical to store all organic waste for longer. These products usually end up in the incinerator, waste resources and don’t become part of a cycle.
Single-use plastic, regardless of the material, is promoting our one-time-use culture and this needs to be reconsidered! The idea that bioplastics can simply be thrown away because it degrades faster encourages this single-use culture.
Waste prevention and environmental protection starts with discarding unnecessary products and packaging. Therefore, disposable bioplastic products are not a sustainable alternative. Bioplastics can be a good alternative to high quality and durable products where the use of plastic makes sense. Otherwise, the following applies: “The best waste is that which is not produced at all.”
How to reduce the amount of plastic in everyday life
When shopping
- Plan your shopping!
Bring enough fabric bags with you so you don’t have to use plastic bags for fruits and vegetables, and your own containers for the sausage and cheese counter. - Carry your purchases home in fabric bags, baskets or backpacks.
- At the weekly farm markets, you can buy fresh unpackaged fruits and vegetables, depending on the region and season.
When travelling
- Do you often buy coffee to go? Then you can buy a porcelain mug or a stainless steel mug for commuting.
- The same goes for takeaway food: if you know you’ll be buying prepared food several times a week, put your food in a reusable container and have reusable cutlery ready.
- Water can be easily transported in plastic bottles, but bottled water actually tastes better. In addition, plastic bottles do not benefit your health or the environment. Tap water is best poured into reusable and unbreakable glass or stainless steel bottles.
When at home
- Who needs plastic dishes at home? Of course, it is unbreakable and colorful. However, chinaware is a more sustainable alternative.
- Children’s plastic toys look good. But, for example, toys made of wood are certainly more useful and are not thrown into the rubbish bin after a few months of play.
Recycle your plastic
Plastic and polymer wastes should be handed over for processing to specialized companies engaged in collection, purchase and waste disposal.
In large cities, plastic waste containers have been installed where you can throw away the sorted waste.
Germany, France and Italy already have nationwide collection systems that, in addition to PET, also recycle other types of plastic packaging. The collection of plastic packaging is no longer voluntary there, but regulated by law as part of the EU plastics strategy. In 2018, the EU made a commitment to integrate all plastic packaging into the circular economy by 2030. All member states must collect and recycle 55 percent of their plastic packaging.
