It's easy and fun to live a plastic-free life. Here we share 7 smart tips that are simple to use in your everyday life.
1. Bring your own water bottle
If you want to avoid buying drinking water in single-use plastic bottles when you're on the go, bring your own reusable water bottle. They're easy to refill with more water throughout the day and most stores and gas stations are accommodating and will let you fill up your water bottle with them.
2. Use a fabric bag when you shop
Bring one or several fabric bags with you when you're going to shop for groceries or if you're just going out for a stroll in town. A fabric bag or mesh bag is always good to have on hand and they're usually convenient and fit easily in a jacket pocket, handbag, backpack or in the car.
By bringing your own fabric bag, you save both money and unnecessary plastic use.
3. Switch from your plastic toothbrush to a bamboo toothbrush
Every year, over 4.7 billion plastic toothbrushes end up in landfills and oceans worldwide. These will never break down, which is why it's an easy choice to buy a toothbrush made of bamboo or wood.
A bamboo toothbrush has a handle made from moso bamboo and the bristles are usually bio-based or made from nylon. The bristles can be easily removed with pliers for recycling and the toothbrush handle can then be composted in your regular household compost.
4. Bring your own thin fabric bags for fruits & vegetables when grocery shopping
Have you also reflected on how many single-use plastic bags we grab when shopping for fruits and vegetables? These single-use plastic bags usually only last one use before they need to be thrown away, and it feels like a huge waste of resources when there are other alternatives.
Bring reusable small fabric bags with you and put your vegetables and fruits in them. The fabric bags can be washed and reused over and over again.
These smart and practical fabric bags can be used for much more than just groceries too. They're perfect when traveling for small items you don't want to lose or when you want to organize your packing.
![A reusable fabric bag with fresh romanesco and lemon wedges.]
5. Use Bee´s wrap or Abeego instead of plastic wrap
It's simple to avoid plastic wrap by using beeswax wraps from brands like Bee´s Wrap (there are now also plant-based wraps available) or Abeego.
Beeswax wraps can be used to wrap bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables. They can also be used to cover a bowl, dish or container.
Beeswax wraps are coated with beeswax, jojoba oil and resin which have antibacterial properties that help keep food fresh longer.
Various types of food, including bread, vegetables and lentils, packaged in reusable beeswax wraps on a table.
6. Bring lunch in a stainless steel or glass lunch box
Hot food and plastic are never a good idea. Therefore, you should use a container made of glass or stainless steel. There are many different models and sizes available, so it's not difficult to find one that suits your own needs.
Lunch food can advantageously be packed in a lunch box, and if you have sides like salad or sauces, they usually stay freshest in their own small container.
If you're buying takeout food, you can ask your restaurant if it's possible for you to bring your own lunch box that they can fill the food in. This way you avoid styrofoam plastic that most takeout containers are made of.
Stainless steel lunch boxes filled with various foods, including popcorn, salad and focaccia.
7. Bring your own coffee mug
Skip the single-use plastic cups by bringing your Klean Kanteen to your coffee shop and asking them to pour the coffee into your reusable mug.
At many gas stations you serve yourself coffee, and then it's just as easy to fill your own reusable mug as it is to take a single-use plastic cup. It's usually not a problem either when being served coffee to ask to have it in your own mug.
On our website you'll find a selection of plastic-free kitchen items and products for a more sustainable kitchen.
Original post written by Sara Mårtensson, founder of Lapland Eco Store which has been part of Glimja since 2021.
