Common Single Use Items and Alternatives
I hope you had a chance last week to look at what single use items you use regularly. I compiled a list of what items I found I used most often in last weeks blog post (here).
Luckily, many of these items have reusable alternatives that are relatively easy to find!
Below is a list of some common single use plastic items and alternatives to replace them.
Plastic Grocery Bags
The average American uses 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year, yet only 1% of them are recycled (1). The rest end up in landfills, oceans, and across the landscape. Luckily, plastic bags are pretty simple to replace in our day to day lives. The easiest way is to invest in some reusable bags and bring them shopping with you. The hardest part here is actually remembering to bring the bags. I have found the easiest way to remember is just leaving them in my car! You could also carry one that folds up small enough to fit in your purse for the times you only have a few items to get.
If you do not have money to invest in reusable bags, just reuse the plastic ones you get at the store each time or ask for paper. You could also use items you already have at home like totes or a backpack!
If you do end up with some plastic bags at home make sure and recycle them or reuse them as trash can liners or to pick up pet waste.
Plastic Produce Bags
You know those green or clear bags in the produce section? The ones you drop your apples in and use a twisty tie to seal up? Those are another huge contributor to single use plastic. Think about it…you put your items in this bag and then usually put said bag in ANOTHER plastic grocery sack. That is double the single use plastic!
Instead look for reusable produce bags.
They can be washed if needed and are a lot sturdier than the plastic grocery store ones anyways.
Some produce you don’t even need to put in bags. If you need a red pepper, onion, or bananas just put them in your cart as is! You can always wash items that you eat the skin of when you get home (you should probably do this anyways)!
Cling Wrap
Cling wrap is something we have not had in our kitchen for years now, and honestly I can count on one hand how many times I really even “missed it”. It is funny how when you eliminate something you thought was so necessary, you find ways to get around needing it.
The main reason for not getting a replacement for it was that I couldn’t find one. I would just use tin foil instead (which is still waste I know). Well, a few weeks ago I found the cutest fabric bowl covers from a local shop in the area. I LOVE THEM! They fit so many different sizes of bowls and are washable. They are also so much easier to use compared to cling wrap.
Other alternatives to cling wrap are bees wax paper or using bowls/containers that come with lids.
Cotton Swabs
When I think of single use plastic, cotton swabs don’t usually enter my mind. But I am sure we have all seen the famous picture of the seahorse with its little tail wrapped around a cotton swab taken by Justin Hofman. Something small, when used almost daily by some, can have a huge impact on plastic pollution.
I am sure most of you use cotton swabs to clean your ears out, but did you know that it is actually frowned upon to do this? Doctors say sticking a cotton swab, or anything for that matter, inside your ear can actually do more damage than good. Check out more on this here (https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/wellness-prevention/why-you-really-shouldnt-use-a-q-tip-to-clean-your-ears). So, the easiest way to reduce cotton swab waste is to just stop sticking things in your ears in the first place!
If you absolutely must continue to buy cotton swabs opt out for the ones made with paper sticks or ones that are biodegradable.
Plastic Bottles
According to The Guardian, it is estimated that one million plastic bottles are used every minute around the world, and this number could jump 20% by 2020! (2)
Along with water, many of our favorite drinks are sold in bottles for convenience. Once the drink is gone, though, the plastic bottle it came in is typically discarded and never used again.
An easy way to eliminate your use of plastic water bottles is to purchase a reusable water bottle and bring it with you – everywhere. If you can, buy multiple and have one in the car, at work…etc. If you have a reusable bottle readily available, it will cut down on the tendency to buy bottled water as a last minute resort.
Eliminating the plastic bottles of your other favorite drinks can be just as easy. Many gas stations have fountains available where you can bring your own cup to fill.
Coffee Cups
How many times a week do you stop at the gas station or Starbucks for a cup of coffee? Do you bring your own thermos? Or use the plastic styrofoam ones they provide? Well, if you stopped just 3 mornings a week and used one of their cups, you would be using (and then throwing away) over 150 cups a year.
Even the paper cups that some places use aren’t as environmentally friendly as they seem. They usually have a thin film of plastic on the inside to prevent leaking!
Similarly to bringing your own water bottle everywhere, bring your own thermos! Most places will put your favorite drink in something you bring in instead of the cups they have on hand. Plus, you can buy one that makes you smile every time you use it!
Straws
Here is another single use plastic item created for convenience (noticing the trend?). While in some cases straws are necessary, most of us can drink just as easily without using one. While straws only make up a small portion of our plastic pollution problem, they are one of the easiest to eliminate.
Phasing out straws all together is the easiest way to get rid of the waste. When you go to a restaurant, ask them not to put a straw in your drink or don’t take one when they lay them on the table. Don’t forget to ask for no straw when ordering fast food at the drive thru. Or better yet, go inside with your own reusable cup to fill.
If you enjoy using a straw too much to get rid of it completely, consider non plastic alternatives. Metal straws are widely available and can be used multiple times. There are even collapsible ones you can carry around with you, so you are always ready to sip your drink plastic free.
Food Packaging
Single use plastic food packaging seems to be one of the harder items to eliminate from our daily lives. Many grocery items like bread, cheese, deli meats, and candy are packaged in plastic that is thrown away once the food it gone. In most cases it is hard to find non plastic alternatives to packaging for these items and you have to resort to making them from scratch if you wanted to eliminate the plastic. Some items, like granola bars, are easy to make from scratch, though, and would eliminate some plastic! (look out for a future post featuring some yummy recipes)
Since we may not be able to eliminate food packaging waste all together, it is important to look at ways to cut down the amount. Don’t buy items that are packaged individually in plastic and then packaged in a larger plastic bag for convenience. This is especially common in snack foods like trail mix, chips, and granola bars. Packaging foods like this makes it easy to throw it in your purse or kids lunch without much effort on your end. Instead, buy in larger quantities and distribute into smaller (reusable) baggies yourself. This is honestly cheaper since most companies charge more for the convenience factor. Sliced cheese and deli meats are also items that are sometimes packaged in plastic twice.
If there are multiple ways to purchase an item, always chose the non plastic way. Or at least the way that uses the least amount of plastic.
Buy more items from the bulk bins. Plain rice, almonds, and other small food items are often sealed in plastic to keep easy to manage. These items are also found in your grocery store bulk bins and can sometimes be cheaper to purchase this way. Be careful, though. Many of these bins provide plastic bags for you to put the item in. Instead, bring a reusable bulk bag with you to fill.
Take Out Containers
I love when you go to a restaurant, have an amazing meal, and then have leftovers to bring home to enjoy all over again! But I always run into the dilemma of the plastic styrofoam to go containers that most restaurants provide.
One easy way to eliminate this is to bring your own reusable container when dining out. You can even find collapsible ones that would easily fit into a purse or bag.
The issue of plastic container waste is also seen when ordering take out or delivery. In these cases it is much harder to eliminate the plastic waste that will come with your order. Avoiding take-out and delivery all together or only ordering from restaurants who use sustainable materials for their containers is the best way to cut down on the plastic. Also make sure you ask for no plastic silverware or condiment packets and use what you already have at home instead.
Plastic Baggies
Sandwich baggies are commonly used in lunches throughout the country. They conveniently package smaller snack items and hold your sandwich together. They are often a source of plastic pollution, though, because of their single use nature.
Some easy replacements for plastic sandwich baggies are reusable fabric “baggies”. They can come in really fun fabrics that your kids (and you) will love.
You can purchase silicone bags that work well to freeze items in instead of using plastic freezer baggies.
Steel or glass containers also work as replacements for plastic baggies and keep softer items from getting smashed in your lunch box!
This is just a snapshot list of the single use plastic items – there are so many more. What others did you find you used the most? What alternatives have you found?
Throughout the week I will be posting more tips and tricks on Instagram and Facebook to eliminating single use plastic from your life.
Be on the lookout for our complete list of single use plastics and alternatives coming to the website soon!
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