Plastic banning means replacing the plastic in your home and daily life with more environmentally friendly and safer alternatives that are better for both your health and the environment. It means reducing the amount of plastic around you and also cutting down on your plastic consumption.
Where do I start?
Banning plastic in the home doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a process you need to take at your own pace. But most people start by banning plastic in the kitchen. This is because plastic and heat are a bad combination, as plastic releases the most toxins when heated. In the kitchen, you can replace plastic with better alternatives such as stainless steel, glass, bamboo, organic cotton, linen, and wood.
Items that are good to replace in the kitchen
We also give you examples of better alternatives, most of which you can buy from us at Glimja.
- Plastic kitchen utensils replaced with kitchen utensils made of wood, bamboo, and stainless steel.
- Plastic cutting boards replaced with cutting boards made of bamboo.
- Plastic bags and cling film replaced with Bee’s Wrap, Abeego, fabric bags, and mesh bags made of organic cotton.
- Plastic food containers replaced with food containers made of stainless steel or glass.
- Plastic mixing bowls replaced with mixing bowls made of stainless steel or glass.
- Plastic measuring cups replaced with stainless steel ones.
- Non-stick frying pans replaced with cast iron or stainless steel frying pans.
- Plastic storage jars and containers replaced with storage jars and containers made of stainless steel.
- Plastic drinking glasses, plates, and cutlery replaced with drinking glasses, plates, and cutlery made of glass, stainless steel, bamboo, and wood.
- Coffee filters replaced with fabric coffee filters made of organic cotton or compostable FSC-certified paper coffee filters.
- Plastic straws replaced with straws made of stainless steel, bamboo, or glass.
- Plastic dishwashing gloves replaced with dishwashing gloves made of natural rubber.
- Plastic dishcloths replaced with dishcloths made of linen or organic cotton.
- Plastic dish brushes replaced with wooden dish brushes with natural bristles.
- Plastic wash and scrub sponges replaced with wash sponges made of more environmentally friendly materials and scrub sponges made of coconut fiber.
- Plastic oven and baking molds replaced with stainless steel or glass ones.
- Plastic water bottles and pitchers replaced with water bottles and pitchers made of stainless steel or glass.
- Plastic trays replaced with trays and serving platters made of bamboo.
Once you’ve finished banning plastic in the kitchen, many continue with the children’s room, bathroom, and the rest of the household.
How do I avoid single-use plastic products?
It’s very easy to avoid single-use plastic products when traveling or in the city, for example when shopping and eating. Single-use plastic products are a major environmental problem, and most of the plastic never gets recycled but ends up in nature and our oceans, where it harms both animals and the environment.
- Bring a fabric bag or mesh bag when buying loose vegetables and fruit.
- Make it a habit to always carry your own water bottle or coffee mug made of stainless steel or glass, making it easy to drink water and coffee without plastic. It’s just as easy to bring your own bottle or mug if you know you’ll be buying a drink at a café or restaurant.
- Lunch or snacks can easily be brought in a food container or food thermos made of stainless steel or glass. There are many smart solutions for different meals, such as divided food containers, insulated ones that keep food warm or cold, leak-proof containers, sauce jars, large and small, tall and short. Everything so you can find one or more food containers that suit your needs.
- If you like to drink your beverages with a straw, it’s smart to bring your own straw in your bag. It may seem like a small detail, but many straws are thrown away every day worldwide.
- Instead of plastic cutlery, bring your own cutlery made of stainless steel or bamboo.
Hidden plastic traps you don’t think about
Conserves cans: The inside of most canned food cans is coated with a layer of bisphenol A. However, there are brands with cans without bisphenol A, such as Kung Markatta. Tetra Pak is also a good alternative if you want to avoid bisphenol-coated cans.
Lids of jam jars and baby food jars
Kettles are often made of plastic or have a plastic interior. Plastic and heat are not a good combination as plastic releases harmful substances at high temperatures.
Shower curtains: Shower curtains are often made of the harmful plastic PVC. Soft PVC contains phthalates, which are a type of plasticizer; some phthalates are hormone-disrupting and hazardous to health (source: Kemi.se). PVC is made from vinyl chloride, which is carcinogenic (source: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation).
Skincare: Skincare products can contain microplastics. Avoid products with ingredients such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, and nylon (source: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation). If you see these ingredients, you know your skincare product contains plastic. Wastewater treatment plants cannot handle these microplastics, and they end up in the oceans where they harm fish and other marine animals. None of the body care products we sell at Glimja contain plastic!
Keep in mind!
Do not heat plastic food containers in the microwave, as heated plastic releases more chemicals into the food than cold plastic. Do not serve hot or warm drinks in plastic cups.
Original post written by Sara Mårtensson, founder of Lapland Eco Store, which has been part of Glimja since 2021.
